British company Mykines Corporation has allegedly exported $1.2 billion worth of tech equipment to Russia since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, including high-performance microchips, telecommunications equipment and servers, potentially in violation of export sanctions, the Financial Times reported.

The London-registered company allegedly exported at least $982 million worth of prohibited goods.

The sale of such goods to Russia without the consent of the British government may be a violation of its sanctions, despite their routes, mainly through China, Kyiv Independent quotes.

A UK government spokesman told the Financial Times that authorities take potential breaches “very seriously”, but did not discuss the details of how they would apply the sanctions.

“By law, all companies registered in Great Britain are required to comply with the regime of sanctions against Russia,” a source told the Financial Times.

The Ukrainian had considerable control

The newspaper’s investigation revealed that the person with “significant control” in the firm was Vitaly Polyakov, a 53-year-old Ukrainian.

Records obtained by the Financial Times show that the company’s exports to Russia suddenly increased after the February 24 invasion.

According to a Bloomberg report, in February the G7 member states discussed whether to impose sanctions on companies from China, Iran and North Korea that supply Russia with parts and technology for military purposes.

Russia continues to have access to foreign chips and technology through intermediaries such as Iran or North Korea, said Thea Candler, the US assistant secretary of commerce for export affairs.

Earlier, China responded to claims that some of its state-owned companies may be helping Russia in the war in Ukraine, saying Washington must stop sending weapons if it wants the war to end, Bloomberg reported.

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