According to multiple reports, Russian soldiers have access to Western-made military equipment despite economic sanctions that were imposed upon Russia at the beginning of Russian aggression against its Ukrainian neighbors.
The sanctions, which include a variety of export controls issued by the United States, the European Union, and other Western Allies, were made in support of Ukraine.
Russia Uses Western-Made Military Equipment
According to Russian investigative news site Important Stories, some Russian snipers have been using rifle scopes that should not have access to, but clearly do.
The site brandished several YouTube videos that showed Russian soldiers using Western equipment on the battlefield. In one video cited by the outlet, a Russian sniper says that his firearm is equipped with a Leupold scope.
Leupold & Stevens, Inc. is an American optics manufacturer based in Beaverton, Oregon.Soldiers in a second video can be seen using a scope with a logo from the Lavonia, Georgia-located company Nightforce.The site cited customs data that stated $173 million worth of the scopes were imported to Russia between 2022 and 2023.
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Moscow Imports American Weapons Since Russia-Ukraine War Started
Important Stories goes on to state that Pointer, a company based in St. Petersburg, Russia, has imported $32 million worth of scopes from Holosun, another US-based company, since the war against Ukraine began.
Though labeled as "for installation on hunting weapons" and "not for military use," the tactile advantage enjoyed by combatants brandishing high-quality scopes is apparent.
"The import of scopes and other goods 'for hunting,' of course, is carried out through parallel imports-manufacturers most likely do not know where their goods end up," Important Stories wrote.
