Satellite Internet communication systems Gilat SkyEdge, which are produced in Uzhgorod by the plant of the American outsourcing company Jabil Circuit for the Israeli corporation Gilat Satellite Networks, are massively imported into Russia and can help the Russian military carry out assigned tasks, and therefore occupy the territories of Ukraine.
The publication obtained customs data for 2023, according to which about 22 thousand systems assembled in Ukraine worth about $5 million were imported into Russia. This is 6 times more than during 2022, when equipment of Ukrainian origin from the Gilat brand came to Russia. for $840 thousand. During the full-scale invasion of Russia, evidence regularly appears in the media about the transfer of such Gilat systems to the front.
SYSTEMS OF THE ISRAELI COMPANY “GILAT” AT “SVO”
On July 12, 2023, Russian State Duma deputy Viktor Vodolatsky arrived in the occupied Lugansk region to deliver “help” for the “Cossack unit” that is fighting on the side of Russia against Ukraine. Among the “gifts” are a Niva car, an ATV, and body armor. In the photo, Vodolatsky poses with a box with the inscription “Gilat”. This is a satellite communication kit - a “dish” and a transmitter for the SkyEdge system, which has been supplied to Russia by the Israeli corporation Gilat Satellite Networks for many years.
Back in 2022, representatives of the so-called public movement “Public People’s Front” transferred the same systems to units of the “People’s Militia of the LPR.”
“Thanks to the launch of the “Everything for Victory” portal by the Popular Front, it has become possible to purchase such means of communication for you, because we know that 80% of success in battle depends on ensuring continuous communication of the guys who are fighting on the front line, so today five such satellite systems are given to you. Please take advantage and win,” says Anna Eremenko, the so-called head of the executive committee of the “People’s Front” in the “LPR” in the video.
Gilat satellite communication systems are sold en masse by dealers throughout the Russian Federation, and the notes to advertisements often indicate that they are “suitable for the needs of SVO.” This is one of the reasons why Gilat “plates” can be seen in the reports of other “assistants” of the army of Russian invaders.
WHY RUSSIANS CHOOSE GILAT
Unlike Starlink systems, which operate anywhere in the world using a large number of satellites, the Russian Yamal and Express satellite constellations operate on the principle of satellite television. This is when the satellite “hangs” at one point, and the antenna needs to be pointed at it in a certain area at a certain angle, Sergei “Flash” Beskrestnov, an expert on military communications and a consultant in the field of radio-military technologies and a technical blogger, tells Slidstvo.Info.
Gilat satellite complexes are just suitable for working with Russian satellites. “If they have their own satellites, there is no point in paying to use someone else’s constellations. Unlike Starlink, traffic on Russian networks is difficult to trace from the outside. Accordingly, for Russians, using their systems is simply safer from this point of view, because this traffic goes through Russian servers,” says Beskrestnov.
Since the early 2000s, Gilat Satellite Networks has been helping Russians develop a satellite communications network for both private needs and the public sector. Gilat is also a partner of the largest satellite communications operators - a subsidiary of Rostelecom RTCOMM, as well as a subsidiary of Gazprom - Gazprom Space Systems LLC. One of the company's activities is the development of military communications technologies. True, Vodolatsky, like other “volunteers,” donated a civilian kit to the front. Rostelecom will purchase Gilat systems in March 2024. They are also supplied to the structures of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
WHAT ARE SANCTIONS?
It is very difficult to sanction companies that provide services or technologies for satellite communications, says Roman Steblivsky, head of the sanctions department of the Trap Agressor project.
“The American government allows companies from this area to operate in Russia, since we are talking about the civilian population’s access to satellite communications under the pretext of protecting freedom of speech and freedom of information. To impose sanctions on a business like Gilat, we need very clear evidence of not just the use of their products by the military, but their use in the war against Ukraine, on the battlefield,” says the expert in a commentary to Slidstvo.Info.
Roman Steblivsky gives an example of another study conducted by the Trap Aggressor team regarding the American satellite communications company Iridium.
“This company has a subsidiary in Russia, which cooperates with military engineers who served in the FSB. It supplies services to the Russian Guard, Russian prisons, and units of certain intelligence services. Despite this, this evidence was not enough for us to prove that it is necessary to impose sanctions against them,” Steblivsky added.
DO GILAT SATELLITE SYSTEMS REALLY FALL INTO THE “NWO ZONE”
Recently, the number of such “plates” along the front line has only been increasing, explains Flash in a commentary to Slidstvo.Info.
“Both networks - Yamal and Express - meet the needs of the military. If we now look at the photographs of the front, we will see a lot of “plates” there, especially in the Kharkov region, which are directed in one direction - where the satellites of these two networks “hang”. They capture only the eastern part of the front, the Kharkov direction, Kupyansk, Liman and down to Bakhmut - there are a very large number of them in this part. They appear more and more, I teach the guys how to recognize them, we destroy them, for us these are priority goals,” says Beskrestnov.
After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, Gilat did not close its business in the Russian Federation and continues to import equipment through its subsidiary Gilat Satellite Networks (Eurasia) LLC. It was she who imported about 22 thousand SkyEdge II-C Gemini-I and Capricorn Pro satellite communication kits in 2023 worth about $5 million.
According to customs declarations, the systems were shipped from Israel and Turkey. However, in these cases, Ukraine is indicated as the country of origin of the goods. Gilat Satellite Networks (Eurasia) also imported similar satellite routers made in the Philippines (16 thousand sets worth $1.3 million).
The system of supplies to Slidstva.Info journalists was accidentally confirmed by the dealer company Altegrosky. Their main office is in Moscow, and they call themselves the largest commercial satellite communications provider.
During a call to technical support, manager Yana said that “the guys (Russian military - ed.) are being helped by their partners.”
“Now our partners are purchasing systems and transporting them to the zone as humanitarian aid (the so-called SVO zone - ed.),” the woman noted, adding that she had never heard of cases of systems produced in Ukraine being imported into the SVO.
But the technical support of Gilat systems supplier SIGAL, registered in Krasnodar, confirmed to journalists that systems produced in Ukraine are the norm and they are also sent to war.
The Slidstva.Info journalist spoke with SIGAL technical support under a legend. They say that “Russian military from the so-called Northern Military District” received Gilat made in Ukraine and asked to check whether it was normal, because they were afraid to open and use such a “gift” from volunteers.
Below we publish the conversation with minor abbreviations:
— You said that there have already been such cases. Were such systems delivered to the military? I just can’t understand whether this situation is normal or not?
- It’s normal, there were such people. They work on Amur-1 (satellite - ed.).
- Well, that is, these were the ones that were taken to “SVO”?
- Yes, yes, it was.
It is interesting that the full-scale invasion not only did not stop the supply of satellite systems manufactured in Ukraine to Russia, but, it seems, only contributed to the number of orders. So, in 2021, such systems were purchased for 982 thousand dollars, in 2022 - for 840 thousand dollars, and in 2023 the total amount jumped to 5 million dollars per year.
WHO PRODUCES SATELLITE SYSTEMS IN UKRAINE?
The Gilat company does not have its own subsidiary production in Ukraine, but products under its brand are produced by the Jabil Serkit Ukraine Limited LLC plant in Uzhgorod. This is a subsidiary of the American Jabil Circuit, which, in addition to Gilat, also produces equipment and electronics under the brands Nespresso, Nokia, Cardo, Velux, Unify, Ceragon, Tele Tec, Visteon, as well as under its own brands.
According to customs data, a significant portion of the Jabil subsidiary's goods is exported to Hungary. Unlike Gilat, Jabil withdrew from Russia and closed production there. However, according to Russian customs data, the “Ukrainian” Gilat systems were manufactured by Jabil.
In response to Jabil Inc. a request from Slidstva.Info indicated that the enterprise in Uzhgorod in Ukraine does not supply goods to Russia.
“Consistent with our commitment to global ethical standards and human rights, Jabil has taken a clear position in support of Ukraine as the Russian Federation continues its armed invasion of Ukraine. […] We assure all interested parties that we have taken measures to ensure that no products manufactured by Jabil in Ukraine are supplied to the Russian Federation. We are actively working with our customers and supply chains to ensure strict compliance with our policy to prohibit shipments to Russia,” Jabil said in its response.
However, it seems that supplies of equipment of Ukrainian origin are still taking place. According to customs brokers interviewed by Slidstvo.Info, information about the origin is entered into customs databases on the basis of documents provided by the seller or sender. That is, it was the Russian broker who cleared the goods in Russia, who indicated Ukraine as the country of origin of the goods, because this information was documented by the sender. Such a document may be a certificate of origin or an exporter's declaration. And it makes no sense for brokers to enter false information into the database, because they are responsible for this.
“Based on the information that we see, we can definitely say that we are talking about goods of Ukrainian origin that were imported into Russia by an Israeli company. These data were entered based on the documents provided by the buyer. The question remains open as to why this product was allowed into Russia in principle - Ukrainian origin should be a “red beacon”, as it works in a mirror way in Ukraine,” says Alexander Nazareskul, director of the brokerage company Clever Brock, in a commentary to Slidstvo.Info.
According to him, the route could be laid in two ways: “The cargo could be exported from Ukraine, physically arrive in Israel and clear customs there, or go to a customs warehouse in transit mode. And then sell from Israel to another point, for example, to Russia. This is quite a long route for this cargo. Therefore, another option is that the cargo could travel to Europe and also be stored in a customs warehouse in transit mode. And then from this customs warehouse go to Russia, it would be more logical and less expensive. At the same time, an Israeli company could buy this product in Ukraine and indicate the recipient as a company in the EU. And then, upon arrival at the warehouse of this company, give instructions to send this cargo to Russia. This is quite possible."
CONTRACT FOR RUSSIA, CONTRACT FOR THE PENTAGON
Despite the fact that satellite communications systems can be used for both peaceful and military purposes, fixed and mobile satellite systems are not included in the list of dual-use goods, and the list of sanctions against Russia does not prohibit the import of such systems into this country. Despite continuing work in the Russian Federation, Gilat Satellite Networks is not included in the list of war sponsors.
By supplying its products to the Russians at the front, the company not only continues to feel normal in the market, but also receives contracts from the Pentagon.
So, in February of this year, Gilat received another contract for portable satellite communication concentrators for $10 million.
It will be carried out by Gilat’s subsidiary in the USA, DataPath. Prior to this, the US Army re-signed a contract with the Israelis (another Wavestream subsidiary) for about $20 million to continue satellite communications support programs. In 2022, US critical communications system integrator Comlabs selected Gilat to upgrade its existing satellite network of several hundred government and nuclear facilities across the country.