February 18, 2026
Suppliers of death: The Insider identifies another 160 companies making purchases on behalf of the Russian military
The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom face two main difficulties when imposing sanctions aimed at disrupting Russia’s military production. First, it is not always clear which goods are being imported specifically for military use. Second, when one company is sanctioned, a substitute soon appears in its place, and while new Western restrictions are being introduced, the Russian military-industrial complex has time to adapt. But there is a way to solve this problem. After studying data on domestic supplies and comparing them with customs data, The Insider has identified 160 companies that make purchases specifically for the Kremlin’s military-industrial complex. If these were all to be added to sanctions lists at the same time, it could deal a serious blow to Russia’s military production efforts.
TL;DR
- The Insider identified around 160 key intermediary companies supplying Russia's military-industrial complex by analyzing domestic transaction data against customs records.
- These intermediaries, primarily private small and mid-sized firms, procure raw materials, blanks, machines, equipment, and spare parts, often bypassing bureaucratic and customs hurdles.
- A significant portion of sanctioned components, such as Japanese etching equipment and Xilinx FPGAs, are irreplaceable and critical for modern Russian weapons.
- Importers fall into four groups: direct manufacturers, industrial giants, "adjacent" suppliers (contractors), and reseller firms, with the latter two being the most common private importers.
- Customs data indicates over 2,000 Russian companies acted as contractors for defense enterprises, importing over $5 billion in sanctioned goods.
- Despite sanctions, brands like Japan's Tsugami, along with components from Taiwan, South Korea, and Switzerland, continue to find their way into Russia through these intermediaries.
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