The published report says that almost all of Moscow’s modern military systems depend on Western-made electronics.
The Moscow administration has found some ways to bypass the sanctions and export controls imposed on it.
RUSI says that if these legal loopholes can be avoided, the Russian army can be permanently dissolved.
Researchers have spent months studying 27 of the most modern Russian military systems captured, shot down or abandoned in Ukraine.
Within the scope of the study, at least 450 different components were discovered in these technologies, most of which were produced in Western countries, mostly in the USA.
Products of well-known brands such as Sony and Texas Instruments were encountered in Russian weapon systems used on the battlefield. There are no accusations against companies for sending technology to Russia.
Jack Watling, one of the authors of the 60-page report and a senior researcher at RUSI, told the BBC that many of them are in the USA; He said there was a chance of permanently denying Russian access to these sensitive technologies, some of which were manufactured in Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany and France.
Dr. Watling says the long-range ballistic and cruise missiles used by the Russians must have Western-made microchips to be precise and accurate.
So how exactly did Russia get these hi-tech components?
It seems that there are several methods. There has been a network that has been going on, somewhat covertly, since Soviet times.
This network, run by Russian intelligence agents, uses intermediate shipping centers such as Hong Kong and Malaysia.
On the other hand, some companies exporting this critical technology are unaware of who the end user really is.
Dr. He prefers not to ask Watling too many questions compared to others.
Time is running out to prevent the establishment of new illegal routes that would allow the Russian military to access these critical technologies, according to the report’s authors.
To thwart the so-called “silicone lifeline,” the report says the West has an opportunity to tighten export license controls before it’s too late.
Also, the report states that Russia is making efforts to bulk supply ahead of the possible blockage of this network.
“Now is the time to act,” the RUSI report says.