Ukraine sanctions Chinese tech company over cooperation with Russia
ComNav Technology has not left the Russian market (Photo:ComNav Technology via Facebook)
China's ComNav Technology, which supplies navigation and radar equipment for Russian GLONASS satellite navigation system, has been added to the list of international sponsors of war, Ukrainian National Agency for Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) announced on Feb. 20.
The Chinese entity produces and still supplies navigation and radar equipment to the aggressor state. In particular, navigation modules with support for the Russian GLONASS system (similar to GPS).
“Such modules can be used in Russian and Iranian drones, as well as in Russian missile systems for striking Ukraine,” NAPC said in its message.
“Evidence of this was provided to the NACP by the Economic Security Council of Ukraine.”
According to the report, from Feb. 24 to Dec. 30, 2022, ComNav Technology made 73 deliveries to Russia for a total of $2.1 million. Most often, the company supplied navigation and radar equipment.
Despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, ComNav Technology has not suspended the production of GLONASS-enabled modules and other microelectronics for the Russian market, the NACP stressed.
"The GLONASS navigation system was created back in the Soviet Union, primarily for military purposes: navigation of drones and missile systems, intelligence activities, coordination of ground combat groups and navigation of the navy," the agency noted.
In particular, the Russian military uses the GLONASS system to control Iranian Shahed-136 UAVs, which target civilian infrastructure across Ukriane.
The NACP emphasized that the use of the GLONASS system in Russian military equipment depends almost entirely on foreign-made modules.
"As the procurement of Western modules is currently becoming increasingly difficult for Russia due to the uncovering of numerous ‘parallel’ import schemes, Russia is ever more reliant on Chinese manufacturers," the agency concluded.
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