#Sanctions

Six countries on  NATO ’s eastern flank, including Ukraine, are pulling out of the Ottawa Treaty and reintroducing landmines along 2,150 miles of border—what some are calling a new “Iron Curtain” against the growing threat of Russian invasion.

A top Russian academic and microelectronics expert has been implicated in a major sanctions-evasion scheme that funneled US-made chips into Russia’s military supply chain, including components used in Su-34 and Su-35 fighter jets deployed in the war against Ukraine.

Despite an EU embargo on exporting ball and roller bearings to Russia—components small enough to fit in a palm, yet essential for keeping drones airborne and missiles on target—the Slovak firm Kinex Bearings shipped over $1.1 million worth to its Russian subsidiary in 2024.