Belarus’s Integral Bypasses Sanctions, Fuels Russian War Effort

Despite international sanctions against Belarus, the state-owned company Integral has continued to obtain European and American components, enabling the production of microchips found in Russian missiles used in Ukraine.  

An investigation by the Belarus Investigative Center (BIC), with information obtained from leaked emails and internal documents from Russian state-owned Roselectronics, uncovered a sophisticated network of suppliers bypassing restrictions through intermediaries in countries such as Poland, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. 

Among the critical materials reaching Integral is high-grade hydrochloric acid, essential for microchip manufacturing. Before the European Union imposed sanctions in 2022, Integral sourced the acid from Germany’s UrSeCo Handels GmbH & Co. KG. After sanctions took effect, Integral acquired the German acid through Russian suppliers OOO Elektrosnab and OOO Siltron, which obtained it via Kazakhstan. Investigators linked the Zhdanov family, co-owners of UrSeCo and Siltron, to this operation.

Integral also acquired Western equipment through intermediaries. In 2024, the company purchased spare parts for German MWM engines using Belarusian firms. When approached by reporters undercover, representatives of these companies explained that they have an option of avoiding sanctions by importing components through Poland and Kyrgyzstan to avoid detection. Mini-electric motors manufactured by Germany’s Faulhaber Group were obtained via a Chinese intermediary.  

From March 2022 to June 2024, Integral supplied over six million microchips worth $130 million to Russian companies, including major defense-linked buyers such as JSC Spec-Electronkomplekt and JSC Radiant-EC. Wreckage of Russian missiles fired at Ukraine contained Integral-manufactured components, linking the company directly to the war effort.  

Despite sanctions, Integral’s profits have soared. The company’s net earnings in 2023 reached $50 million, a fortyfold increase compared to 2021. While the U.S. sanctioned Integral in February 2022, the EU has yet to include the company on its sanctions list.