Kazakhstan shuts down military and dual use supplies feeding Russia’s war

Kazakhstan has taken a decisive step away from Russia by imposing strict export controls that sharply limit sanctions evasion. New rules require export licenses for a wide range of goods and explicitly ban the re-export of Western-origin items to Russia, aligning Kazakhstan’s system with Western sanctions without formally joining them. This move cuts off a critical fallback supplier that Moscow had increasingly relied on for weapons, ammunition, and military vehicles after its invasion of Ukraine. Even more damaging is the clampdown on dual-use goods, as Kazakhstan had been a major transit hub for microchips, electronics, drones, and precision equipment vital to Russia’s weapons production. The sudden closure of this channel is already causing months-long delays in Russian systems such as Lancet drones, Kalibr and Iskander missiles, and reconnaissance UAVs. Overall, Kazakhstan’s decision represents a serious strategic blow to Russia’s war economy and further weakens its ability to sustain military operations against Ukraine.

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