Harsh Sanctions Force Russia Use Chips From Dishwashers And Refrigerators In Military Gears

On May 11th, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo revealed at a Senate hearing that Ukrainian soldiers found out that Russian military equipment was fitted with chips taken from household dishwashers and refrigerators.

The U.S. Department of Commerce oversees the export controls and initiates sanctions on foreign adversaries. Since the sanctions began in late February, the U.S. technology exports to Russia have fallen by nearly 70% and 36 other countries have followed the suit. The goal was to deny Russia technology that would cripple their ability to continue its military operation. In the remarks, Secretary Raimondo also pointed out that two Russian tank manufacturers had had to halt production due to the lack of components.

Alongside with the Western sanctions imposed this February, big tech companies, including Apple, Google, Intel and Microsoft, have joined governments and the international business community in suspending their products and services to Russian users. The U.S. and other Western countries had stricter regulations of chips and other electronic components specifically designed for military use. The new rules also blocked the sales of most dual-use chips which are for both military and commercial applications to the nonmilitary users in Russia.