In 2024, Kazakhstan purchased around 1,500 traffic lights from Russia, the manufacturer of which is under international sanctions.
According to ORDA, at the end of February, the state corporation Rostec reported sending 1,494 traffic lights to Kazakhstan. It is reported that the order was fulfilled by the Yalamov Ural Optical-Mechanical Plant (UOMP), which is part of the Shvabe holding company. The customers were the akimats of Kostanay, Pavlodar, Oskemen and Aktobe.
"Only last year we supplied 717 traffic lights to Russian regions and sent 1,494 to Kazakhstan, and over the past three years we have sold more than eight thousand devices", said Deputy General Director of Shvabe, Lev Borisov.
It has become known that, among other things, UOMP manufactures equipment for military vehicles: optical-location stations for Russian combat aircraft and helicopters, as well as optoelectronic systems for military ships and ground vehicles. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the USA and the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on the Shvabe holding company.
"Kazakhstan has not joined the economic restrictions against Russia, and traffic lights are, by all parameters, civilian products, the import of which should not carry the risk of secondary sanctions", the statement says.
It is worth recalling that in February 2024, the EU published another package of sanctions against Russia and related companies from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China, Iran, Turkey and other countries.
The sanctions lists also included the Kazakh LLP 'Elem Group'. It was suspected of 'supporting the Russian military-industrial complex' and 'participating in the circumvention of trade restrictions'.
Shortly before this, the Ministry of Trade reported that the company had not carried out any import or export activity since 2023 and is in the process of liquidation. In June, Japan also imposed sanctions against 'Elem Group'.
In January of this year, Japan expanded the sanctions list, including 31 organisations from six countries, among them the Kazakh company 'Da Group 22'. The restrictions, which came into force, apply to goods for the development of chemical weapons and components for special equipment.
Later, the EU Special Envoy David O'Sullivan, during a visit to Kazakhstan, stated that a number of other Kazakh companies could be added to the sanctions list.