Cyber Resistance hacktivists posted documents online, based on which Ukrainian journalists conducted a thorough investigation into the connections between the sanctioned Russian company Planar Tech and its American counterpart, the subsidiary Copper Mountain Technologies. As it turned out, Chelyabinsk-based Planar was included in the sanctions list in the first months after the full-scale invasion because of its ties to Yevgeny Prigozhin. Moreover, the connection between Planar’s products and the Russian defense industry can be traced in the leaked contracts received by the CyberResistance group. Thanks to the information obtained, Ukraine has access to detailed data on Orlan-10 and Inokhodets UAVs, Svet-KU and Leer-3 electronic warfare systems, as well as hundreds of pieces of military equipment. And that’s right, Planar’s products are used in this equipment.
But what does the American subsidiary Copper Mountain Technologies have to do with it, you may ask? An analysis of devices and components manufactured by Planar and Copper Mountain Technologies showed that they produce absolutely identical products. The appearance and characteristics are identical, as are the names and articles. Moreover, Planar and Copper Mountain Technologies have common technical documentation.
Let’s move on. And it gets even more interesting. By resorting to shell companies created by the American clone of Russia’s Planar, Copper Mountain Technologies’ tentacles have reached the US defense industry. For example, it is no exaggeration to say that Russian technology is used in antennas used in American aircraft. But not only that. They have also found their way into space. We are talking about testing a new space fuel sensor on NASA’s Lunar Rover.
To summarize: while Planar is under US sanctions for its ties to Putin’s military machine, its subsidiary Copper Mountain Technologies is receiving contracts from the US defense industry and NASA.
How is this possible? How is it possible to circumvent the sanctions? Once again, this is a question for the American authorized institutions. After all, only compliance with and implementation of stricter sanctions can guarantee that Russia will not be able to wage such an intense and bloody war against the civilian population of Ukraine on the borders with the European Union in the future.
