Russia's military could be unable to operate the high-tech weapons and communications systems it has been using in Ukraine if the West were to tighten export controls, says a report.
Almost all Moscow's modern military systems depend on western-made microelectronics, says the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) report.
Moscow has found ways to bypass sanctions and export controls.
If the loopholes are closed, Russia's military might be permanently degraded.
Researchers for Rusi, a UK think tank, spent months in Ukraine, examining 27 of Russia's most modern military systems, either captured, brought down or abandoned by Russian troops.
They discovered at least 450 different kinds of unique, foreign-made components, most built in the US but also in other Western countries.
Products from familiar brands, like Sony and Texas Instruments, are turning up on the battlefield in Russian weapons systems. There is no suggestion those firms have been complicit in sending components to Russia.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62464459