How Putin runs his war machine from a Tokyo high-rise: Report
A New York Times investigation reveals that a Russian intelligence unit is operating out of Tokyo to smuggle high-tech components for use in Russian missiles and drones. The report details how a GRU officer used a Japanese logistics firm to bypass international sanctions.
Why it matters
It highlights significant gaps in international export controls and the ongoing challenge of preventing dual-use technology from reaching sanctioned military programs.
A secretive Russian military intelligence unit operating out of a Tokyo high-rise is helping supply Vladimir Putin's war machine by buying and smuggling high-tech components from Japan, according to a New York Times investigation.The unit, known as the 20th Directorate, has made Japan a crucial base for Russia's war effort. Ukrainian officials estimate that 90 per cent of Russian missiles and drones contain Japanese components, according to the investigation.At the heart of the operation is Maksim Vladimirovich Filchenkov, 49, a veteran GRU officer operating under cover as an employee of the Russian state airline Aeroflot.
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