US hits network that smuggled chips to Russian arms makers

Washington: US authorities indicted five Russians Wednesday who allegedly shipped American electronic components to Russia arms makers, some of which have been found on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Separately, three Latvians and a Ukrainian were charged for attempting to send a US-made high-precision industrial grinder to Russia that the Justice Department said could be used by arms makers or in a nuclear weapons program.

The Justice Department said the two schemes involved front companies in multiple countries including Dubai and Germany and were designed to evade US and global sanctions on Russia.