A German-based technology company was able to export restricted tech to Russia even after the European Union imposed a fresh round of sanctions on Vladimir Putin`s regime over his invasion of Ukraine, writes POLITICO.

"An investigation by POLITICO has found that Kontron - which has operations across the EU, Britain and America - used its Slovenian subsidiary to export over €3.5 million in sensitive telecommunications tech to its Russian arm in late 2023.

This is despite several waves of EU sanctions coming into force in 2023, including an 11th round in June of that year aimed at restricting exports of advanced and dual-use technology to Russia.

Export records reviewed by POLITICO show that 11 shipments were sent from Kontron`s Slovenian subsidiary, Kontron d.o.o, to its Russian subsidiary, Iskra Technologies, between July and November 2023 — months after the June sanctions came into force.

The exported technology included a dual-use product which can monitor and intercept communications traffic, known as the SI3000.

The company said that the shipments, which included high-tech and dual-use goods that were banned under EU sanctions following Russia`s invasion of Ukraine, were existing orders permitted because of export licenses granted to it by the Slovenian government. It said it had stopped all fresh shipments following June 2023`s new wave of sanctions.

"After the implementation of the 11th package of sanctions (June 23), we stopped exporting any new goods and only delivered already approved exports in compliance with issued export licences, in accordance with the EU sanctions in force," a statement issued by the company said.

The EU`s sanctions on dual-use tech are meant to apply to all new and current contracts - even if signed before a set of sanctions comes into force.

But they include some case-by-case exceptions for cyber, emergency and medical tech, with companies expected to get permission from the EU member state they are based in to fulfill those orders. Neither the European Commission nor Germany`s Central Customs Authority have indicated that an investigation into Kontron is underway or will be undertaken".