By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. Senate panel will maintain a listening to on Tuesday on the usage of U.S. chips in Russian weapons programs, Senator Richard Blumenthal mentioned in a press release on Wednesday.
The listening to by the Senate Everlasting Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) will deal with how export controls meant to dam Russia from utilizing American expertise in its warfare in Ukraine are being evaded by Russia, added the workplace of the Democratic lawmaker, who chairs the panel.
The panel has sought data and paperwork from 4 giant U.S. producers of semiconductors – Superior Micro Gadgets (NASDAQ:), Analog Gadgets (NASDAQ:), Intel (NASDAQ:), and Texas Devices (NASDAQ:), it added.
Preliminary data obtained by the panel confirmed that since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly two years in the past, these 4 firms had “considerably elevated” their exports to international locations which have been recognized as doubtlessly being utilized by Russia to evade U.S. export controls, the committee mentioned.
Three of these firms didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. Texas Devices mentioned it was cooperating with the panel and was opposed the usage of its chips in Russian army tools, saying it stopped promoting merchandise into Russia in Feb. 2022.
American-manufactured semiconductors have been present in a variety of kit utilized by the Russian army, Blumenthal’s workplace mentioned, including it included drones, radios, missiles, and armored autos.
The US and its allies have imposed a number of sanctions on Moscow and export controls for these supporting Russia’s army and protection industries.