russia is actively seeking to acquire Western technology amid tightening sanctions

Three senior officials from European intelligence services told the Associated Press this, according to Ukrinform.

Four years of intensified international sanctions have restricted Moscow’s ability to procure European equipment, technology and research, whilst the gruelling war against Ukraine has weighed heavily on key industrial sectors and pushed the country towards a potential financial crisis.

“(The russians – ed.) really know what they need and are making serious efforts to acquire modern machine tools, factory equipment, scientific research and dual-use technologies,” said Christopher Wedelin, deputy head of operations at the Swedish Security Service.

According to him, in Sweden, russia has targeted the defence industry and new research in the field of armaments, in particular the Gripen fighter jet. It is also attempting to acquire cameras and laser technologies developed for civilian purposes that can be integrated into russian weapons systems, he added. Moscow is also attempting to steal technologies that will help it keep pace with the West — or even gain an advantage over it — in the coming decades, added Juha Martelius, Director of Finland’s Security and Intelligence Service.

“We’re talking about space technology, quantum technology, Arctic technology and maritime technology,” he said, adding that space technology is what russia needs “right now”, without going into detail. Countries use such technologies for satellite imaging, communications and navigation.

russia also needs computer technologies subject to sanctions and software updates for metalworking machines, Martelius noted.

But as schemes for acquiring technology become increasingly complex, Western companies need to be more aware that they may unwittingly become part of russia’s supply chain for the war, Vedelin noted. “All of russia’s security and intelligence services are assisting the state in its efforts to obtain this. They are no longer as concerned about their actions being exposed, so they are taking greater risks to achieve their goals,” said Vedelin.

On Wednesday, the director of the British intelligence service, Anne Kist-Butler, accused russia of “harassing” the UK and its European allies through the theft of technology and the planning of sabotage and assassination attempts.

Moscow is also carrying out cyberattacks against European companies and critical infrastructure, seeking to gather information that it can use “when the opportunity arises and when it serves its objectives,” noted Vedelin. As an example, he cited last year’s cyberattack on a Swedish power station, which russia-linked actors attempted to “destroy” but failed to do so. He noted that the attack was partly aimed at undermining Western support for Ukraine.

russia’s increasingly aggressive tactics may indicate growing internal concerns about its economy, which is “in a very poor state”, noted Kaupo Rosin, head of Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service.

Around a third of russia’s gross domestic product is currently spent on military needs. The war and related sanctions have slowed economic growth and fuelled persistent inflation. Rosin noted that intelligence data held by his agency indicates a deterioration in sentiment among russian officials over the past six months, and that rhetoric about a ‘complete victory’ in Ukraine has disappeared. According to Rosin, who cites intelligence reports, due to a lack of progress on the battlefield and economic woes, many russian officials are privately asking: “What is all this for?”.

Source: Ukrinform