Tony Smith
@tonynewscamera.bsky.social
Video journalist with BBCNews, two time RTS award winner. John Schofield Trust senior fellow. Volunteer with Shout 85258. Tennis, surfing, coast-path walks. Husband, Dad and a Cavapoo named Chester.
Reposted by Tony Smith
Full story with Angus Crawford now up online here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The model, British tech and Russia's war machine
£1.6m of British kit shipped to companies tied to Russian military despite sanctions, customs documents claim.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 21, 2024 at 6:16 AM
Full story with Angus Crawford now up online here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Full story with Angus Crawford now up online here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The model, British tech and Russia's war machine
£1.6m of British kit shipped to companies tied to Russian military despite sanctions, customs documents claim.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 21, 2024 at 6:16 AM
Full story with Angus Crawford now up online here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Rama Group has now been re-registered in the name of one Angelina Zhurenko – social media shows that she appears to be Valeria’s best friend. They’ve both travelled the world. Angelina has an online lingerie store based in Kazakhstan. Valeria occasionally models for her.
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
Rama Group has now been re-registered in the name of one Angelina Zhurenko – social media shows that she appears to be Valeria’s best friend. They’ve both travelled the world. Angelina has an online lingerie store based in Kazakhstan. Valeria occasionally models for her.
She says she hasn't broken any laws in Kyrgyzstan itself. That may be true but the UK, Europe and US have been asking Bishkek to tighten up its sanctions regime (David Cameron visited as Foreign Secretary earlier in the year).
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
She says she hasn't broken any laws in Kyrgyzstan itself. That may be true but the UK, Europe and US have been asking Bishkek to tighten up its sanctions regime (David Cameron visited as Foreign Secretary earlier in the year).
Here are another couple of pictures from her social media.
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
Here are another couple of pictures from her social media.
Valeria is only a small part of a much wider trade. How did she get involved? We don't know. We wanted to ask her about it, but when we called, she simply said she no longer ran Rama Group. That's true - but we do know that she was the company's director when many of the sanctioned trades took place
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
Valeria is only a small part of a much wider trade. How did she get involved? We don't know. We wanted to ask her about it, but when we called, she simply said she no longer ran Rama Group. That's true - but we do know that she was the company's director when many of the sanctioned trades took place
The customs documents indicate that those infrared lenses eventually went to the Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant, a US- and EU-sanctioned producer of optical systems for military and civil purposes.
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
The customs documents indicate that those infrared lenses eventually went to the Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant, a US- and EU-sanctioned producer of optical systems for military and civil purposes.
Rama has done business with Katreid, which is known to have supplied electronic components to a US, EU, and UK-sanctioned lab that develops nuclear weapons. Katreid itself was added to the US sanctions list in August. ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actio...
Russia-related Designations and Designations Updates; Issuance of Russia-related General Licenses; Issuance and Amendment of Russia-related Frequently Asked Questions | Office of Foreign Assets Contro...
ofac.treasury.gov
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
Rama has done business with Katreid, which is known to have supplied electronic components to a US, EU, and UK-sanctioned lab that develops nuclear weapons. Katreid itself was added to the US sanctions list in August. ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actio...
Rama Group has shipped to numerous sanctioned companies in Moscow. Thanks to C4ADS, a Washington, DC-based global security nonprofit – for crucial leads and tips along the way. c4ads.org
Home
C4ADS is a nonprofit organization with a mission to defeat the illicit networks that threaten global peace and security.
c4ads.org
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
Rama Group has shipped to numerous sanctioned companies in Moscow. Thanks to C4ADS, a Washington, DC-based global security nonprofit – for crucial leads and tips along the way. c4ads.org
Computer chips and semi-conductors are also hugely important to Russia's war effort. Details of how US manufacturers' tech is also going through Central Asia detailed here: www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Russia’s Backdoor for Battlefield Goods From China: Central Asia
Trade routes through the region are increasingly important to Moscow’s efforts to thwart Western sanctions.
www.wsj.com
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
Computer chips and semi-conductors are also hugely important to Russia's war effort. Details of how US manufacturers' tech is also going through Central Asia detailed here: www.wsj.com/world/russia...
So, we don't know what those lenses were or where they came from - but the customs documents describe high tech, expensive kit - purported to be British - destined for companies with known links to the Russian military.
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
So, we don't know what those lenses were or where they came from - but the customs documents describe high tech, expensive kit - purported to be British - destined for companies with known links to the Russian military.
The UK manufacturer said it had no knowledge of these shipments and had never sold to Russia or Kyrgyzstan. It didn't recognise the specs detailed in the customs documents.
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
The UK manufacturer said it had no knowledge of these shipments and had never sold to Russia or Kyrgyzstan. It didn't recognise the specs detailed in the customs documents.
And we uncovered customs documents that appear to show infrared lenses - apparently made by a company that worked on the Storm Shadow missile - also going through Bishkek. Ironic as that missile is fired into Russia from the Ukrainian side for the first time.
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
And we uncovered customs documents that appear to show infrared lenses - apparently made by a company that worked on the Storm Shadow missile - also going through Bishkek. Ironic as that missile is fired into Russia from the Ukrainian side for the first time.
How did they get there? Well, we know at least some of them went through Rama Group, in Kyrgyzstan. Raspberry Pi says the company is doing everything it can to stop the trade.
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
How did they get there? Well, we know at least some of them went through Rama Group, in Kyrgyzstan. Raspberry Pi says the company is doing everything it can to stop the trade.
And that's what appears to be happening. British Raspberry Pi circuit boards (remember them - designed to teach kids coding) have been turning up inside Russian drones. www.thetimes.com/article/rasp...
Raspberry Pi takes fight to firms selling its devices into Russia
The company has discovered that millions of dollars worth of its mini-computers, which can play a role in war, were sold into Russia last year despite sanctions
www.thetimes.com
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
And that's what appears to be happening. British Raspberry Pi circuit boards (remember them - designed to teach kids coding) have been turning up inside Russian drones. www.thetimes.com/article/rasp...
We spoke to the EU's sanctions envoy, Irish diplomat David O’Sullivan. He said he didn't really mind if the odd Range Rover or Mercedes found its way to a Russian oligarch - but he really DOES mind if sanctioned tech was helping Russian forces on the battlefield.
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
We spoke to the EU's sanctions envoy, Irish diplomat David O’Sullivan. He said he didn't really mind if the odd Range Rover or Mercedes found its way to a Russian oligarch - but he really DOES mind if sanctioned tech was helping Russian forces on the battlefield.
It's no coincidence, of course, that UK and European trade with Kyrgyzstan has gone through the roof since Russian sanctions were introduced. Sky have done some great work on car exports. news.sky.com/story/brand-...
Brand new luxury British and European cars are entering Russia despite being banned - here's how
Sky News travels to the Caucasian state of Georgia where we uncover a complex but finely-honed system designed to get cars into Russia, despite their importation being banned under UK and EU sanctions...
news.sky.com
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
It's no coincidence, of course, that UK and European trade with Kyrgyzstan has gone through the roof since Russian sanctions were introduced. Sky have done some great work on car exports. news.sky.com/story/brand-...
Customs documents seen by the BBC appear to show that Rama Group has bought British lenses, circuit boards and computer connectors worth millions of pounds - and shipped them through Kyrgyzstan to Russia. All would be classified as 'dual use' battlefield items.
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
Customs documents seen by the BBC appear to show that Rama Group has bought British lenses, circuit boards and computer connectors worth millions of pounds - and shipped them through Kyrgyzstan to Russia. All would be classified as 'dual use' battlefield items.
One of them was set up by this woman - Valeria Baigaskina. She's a part-time model living in Belarus - but she was the first director of a company in Bishkek named Rama Group.
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
One of them was set up by this woman - Valeria Baigaskina. She's a part-time model living in Belarus - but she was the first director of a company in Bishkek named Rama Group.
We've identified two companies in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, which appear to be channelling all manner of sanctioned goods to companies linked to the Russian military.
November 20, 2024 at 11:05 PM
We've identified two companies in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, which appear to be channelling all manner of sanctioned goods to companies linked to the Russian military.