Kazakhstan bans exports of drones to Russia

Kazakhstan imposed a ban on the exports of 106 types of goods to Russia, including technological goods that could be used by Russia for military purposes. The Head of the Ukranian Presidential Office, Andrii Yermak, reported this. "These are goods that were not produced in Kazakhstan.

The enemy tried to get Western parts through re-export," the official said. The Head of the President's Office emphasized that the McFaul-Yermak group worked with partners to ensure that "as many parts important for weapons production as possible could not be obtained by Russians through third countries." According to the Kazakh news agency KazTAG, Vice Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kairat Torebayev, said that imports from Russia to Kazakhstan are carried out, but exports from Kazakhstan are limited.

Photo credits: primeminister.kz

"We export all goods, except for those related to the war - they are subject to restrictions. These are 106 items of goods - we have completely banned their export," the official said. Torebayev added: "These 106 items of goods are not produced in Kazakhstan, but were previously (before Russia's war against Ukraine - Ed.) re-exported through Kazakhstan."

However, through Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, thanks to parallel imports, Russia imported £14.1 billion worth of goods from the European Union alone in the first half of 2023. Compared to the same period in 2022, the volume of such imports soared by almost 60%, or £5.2 billion. They sold mainly telecom equipment, microelectronics, transportation equipment, computers, servers, hard drives, and smartphones.

On September 28, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that Astana would adhere to the sanctions regime against Russia.

In June 2023, it became known that companies from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan were helping Russia circumvent U.S. and EU sanctions.