Russia acquires components for ballistic missiles from Europe and US through intermediaries – The Insider
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Despite the sanctions, Russia receives components from Europe and the USA with the help of intermediary firms.
The Insider investigation revealed that It uses parts acquired through companies that have not yet come under Western sanctions to produce long-range Kinzhal ballistic missiles, Rubryka reports.
Journalists discovered that the corporation, part of Rostech, receives American chips for missiles from China. They are purchased by the Moscow company ETC Electronics LLC, established in 2021, from the Chinese company ETC Electronics Limited.
"Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering" (KBM) receives other components for missiles from Europe. For example, heat and cold chambers are imported from Poland through the Moscow company "Ostek-Test" LLC, and lathes are procured from Germany through "KEB-Rus" LLC.
Intermediary companies also purchase products for KBM from manufacturers from Lithuania, Latvia, Belgium, and Great Britain.
Sergey Pitikov has managed the "Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering" since Soviet times. According to the publication, his daughter Maya Pitikova lives near Malmo in Sweden. In a conversation with journalists, she said that "Putin's regime is waging a criminal, bloody, senseless war" but refused to comment further: "I am not ready to participate in a conversation that is directed against my father from the very beginning."
Earlier, Ukraine's Security Service announced the suspicion to Sergey Chemezov, the executive director of the Russian state corporation Rostech. His company supplies Kinzhal missiles and other weapons for the Russian army.
What we know about Kinzal missiles
The Kinjal missile first appeared in Russian service in 2017. After being launched from the plane, it rises to a high altitude, into the upper layers of the atmosphere, and then approaches the target along a ballistic trajectory.
Russia is called hypersonic, while Defense Express said that this missile could accelerate to hypersonic speed thanks to an accelerator but could not fly continuously. Journalists say that at the stage of the approach to the target, the rocket moves quickly but does not reach hypersonic speed.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, however, said that during the approach to the target along the ballistic trajectory, the missile can develop a speed of approximately 12,000 km/h. That is, it can reach hypersonic speed.
Aviation and defense expert David Gambling noted in an article for Forbes that Kinzhal missiles were not necessarily faster than traditional ballistic missiles, which also reach hypersonic speeds.
"However, while ballistic missiles have a highly predictable flight path, like a cannonball, hypersonic missiles can maneuver within the atmosphere. This means that ballistic missiles can be detected at a long distance and pre-determined interception points, while hypersonic missiles remain at a lower level, giving less time for warning and do not follow a predictable path," the expert explained.
Rubryka reported that on the night of May 16, six Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, nine Kalibr cruise missiles, and three ballistic missiles were destroyed in the sky over Ukraine. The Ukrainian forces reported that all 18 missiles launched by the Russian aggressors and all launched drones were downed.
Yuriy Ihnat, the spokesperson of the Air Force Command, said that the downing of all six Kh-47M2 "Kinzhal" missiles was an impressive indicator.
According to journalists' estimates, the fruitless night attack cost Russia at least $120 million: the calculations were based on the cost of missiles and drones of various types, excluding three missiles, the type of which had not been determined.
The US Department of Defense also officially confirmed that Ukrainian defenders downed the Russian Kinzhal missile using the Patriot anti-aircraft missile complex. British intelligence said that the vulnerability of the so-called "invincible" Kinzhals surprised Russia.
