The dual-use procurement challenge
Russia’s military drone programs – including the Lancet, Orlan, and Shahed-variant systems – depend on western-origin components that cannot be manufactured domestically at scale. Integrated circuits, inertial navigation systems, and optical sensors are procured through intermediary networks designed to evade export controls. The challenge for enforcement agencies is identifying these procurement networks before components reach the battlefield – operating ‘left of launch’ in the supply chain.
Tracing the component supply chain
Sayari trade data traces dual-use component shipments from allied manufacturers through intermediary trading companies in Central Asia, the Middle East, and East Asia to entities connected to Russian defense production. The investigation identifies specific procurement entities – including TSMD Global and TSK Vektor – whose import patterns, corporate connections, and end-use indicators reveal their role in sustaining sanctioned military programs. Each node in the supply chain represents an opportunity for disruption.
Corporate network mapping
Corporate registration data reveals the ownership structures connecting intermediary procurement entities to Russian defense interests. Shared directors, common beneficial owners, and overlapping corporate addresses link what appear to be independent trading companies into coordinated procurement networks. The analysis demonstrates how entities in permissive jurisdictions serve as deliberate cutouts – providing the corporate distance between allied component manufacturers and sanctioned Russian end users.
Why this matters
Export control enforcement is a supply chain intelligence problem. Traditional approaches – screening against entity lists after components have shipped – operate too late. Sayari’s approach maps the full procurement network from manufacturer to end user, identifying intermediary entities before they appear on sanctions lists. For government agencies, this means earlier disruption of adversary supply chains. For manufacturers and distributors, it means screening beyond the immediate buyer to understand where components ultimately go.
Sayari’s Commercial World Model covers 10.6B+ primary-source records across 250+ jurisdictions. The platform resolves entity identities, traces ownership chains, and delivers evidence-grade intelligence that enables analysts to conduct investigations like this one at scale – from corporate registries and trade manifests to beneficial ownership records and sanctions lists.