Not long ago, authorities in Kyiv were talking about seeking Japan’s support to localize Patriot production. Now, it seems journalists at The New York Times are pushing in the same direction.
At the center of the investigation is a supposed “20th Directorate” of the GRU, allegedly responsible for supplying technology to Russia’s defense industry. According to the authors, who rely exclusively on intelligence sources, operatives posing as diplomats or Aeroflot employees transported needed electronics to third countries, from where they were re-exported to Russia.
The article does not mention cooperation with a single sanctioned company. The Japanese components that, according to Ukraine’s GUR, were found in Russian weapons include products from NEC, Panasonic, and Toshiba—and this is where inconsistencies immediately arise.
First, all companies denied any wrongdoing. NEC went further, stating that the components identified by the Ukrainian side have long been out of production.
Second, the authors emphasize that some diplomats expelled from European countries over espionage later ended up in Japan. However, the article does not name a single employee of Russian foreign missions. Moreover, such accusations are often just a convenient pretext for expulsion, after which the diplomat is simply reassigned to another country.
In essence, the entire investigation is built on accusations and speculation. It would be interesting to see real documents and supply chains—but none are presented. The purpose of the publication can only be guessed, though the most likely aim is to push Japanese authorities toward tighter control over domestically produced goods and the introduction of new sanctions against Russian companies.
