Ukrainians Sue US Chipmakers for Aiding Russian War Machine
▼ Summary
– Ukrainian civilians have filed lawsuits in Texas against US chip firms TI, AMD, and Intel, alleging the companies negligently failed to track chips that evaded export curbs and were used in Russian and Iranian weapons.
– The lawsuits claim these firms ignored public reports, government warnings, and shareholder pressure to strengthen controls over distribution channels and final chip destinations.
– The legal team alleges the companies relied on a simple checkbox from intermediaries confirming shipments wouldn’t go to sanctioned countries, with no meaningful enforcement or accountability.
– The lawsuits detail specific attacks, including one on a Kyiv children’s hospital in July 2024, where weapons containing these chips caused deaths and injuries to the civilian plaintiffs.
– The complaints state that these chips, essential for drones and missiles, enable Russia’s war and that targets could not be hit without the supply from the accused US firms.
A group of Ukrainian civilians has initiated legal action in Texas courts, alleging that major American semiconductor manufacturers negligently allowed their products to circumvent export controls. The lawsuits claim these components ultimately powered Russian and Iranian weapon systems used in attacks that caused civilian deaths and injuries. The cases spotlight the complex challenges of global supply chain oversight in an era of advanced warfare, where dual-use technology can be diverted for military purposes.
The complaints name industry giants Texas Instruments, AMD, and Intel. For years, these companies allegedly disregarded extensive public reporting, direct government warnings, and concerns raised by their own shareholders. The core accusation is a systemic failure to implement adequate tracking for the final destinations of sensitive chips or to shut down distribution networks known to funnel products to sanctioned entities in Russia and Iran.
According to the plaintiffs’ legal team, these corporations prioritized financial gain over ethical responsibility and human safety. They continued to utilize distribution channels flagged as “high-risk” without ever meaningfully strengthening their compliance protocols or verification processes. Lead attorney Mikal Watts explained the apparent laxity to reporters, stating that intermediaries placing large online orders often faced minimal scrutiny. To satisfy the chipmakers’ requirements, a distributor typically needed only to check a box on a form, confirming the shipment would not go to a sanctioned nation.
“There are clear export lists,” Watts emphasized. “Everyone knows exactly what requires a special license and what does not. These companies know who their customers are. Yet they chose to rely on a simple checkbox that says, ‘I’m not shipping to Putin.’ That was the extent of their enforcement. There was no real accountability built into the system.” This reliance on a self-certification model, the lawsuits argue, created a glaring loophole that was easily exploited.
While these firms allegedly turned a blind eye, the legal filings detail five specific attacks that employed weapons containing their chips. Among these incidents is one of the deadliest assaults on Kyiv, the targeting of Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital in July 2024. The plaintiffs include survivors who sustained serious physical injuries during these attacks, as well as individuals who lost family members and continue to suffer profound emotional trauma.
The central argument of the litigation is that Russia’s military capabilities are directly enabled by these advanced components. Described as the essential “brain” of modern weapon systems, including drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, the semiconductors are alleged to be indispensable. The lawsuits contend that without a steady supply of these high-tech chips from U.S. firms, Russian forces would lack the precision and capability to execute such devastating strikes on civilian infrastructure and populations.
(Source: Ars Technica)
