Kazakhstan Sources Traffic Lights from Subsidiary of Sanctioned Russian Conglomerate

In 2024, Kazakhstan imported approximately 1,500 traffic lights from Russia, a seemingly routine procurement, Orda.kz reports.

On February 28, Russia’s Rostec state corporation reported that the Urals Optical & Mechanical Plant (UOMZ) —part of the Shvabe holding in Yekaterinburg — had supplied 1,494 traffic lights to Kazakhstan this year. The buyers were Akimats in Qostanay, Pavlodar, Oskemen, and Aqtobe.

Interestingly, Kazakhstan has been purchasing traffic lights from Yekaterinburg at twice the rate of Russian regions.

The traffic lights are modern and compatible with Smart City infrastructure, supporting features like video monitoring. However, the manufacturer raises concerns — UOMZ is known primarily for producing military-grade optical equipment.

The plant supplies optical location stations for Russian fighter jets and helicopters and optical-electronic systems for warships and armored vehicles.

The Shvabe holding, which owns UOMZ, is part of Rostec, a Russian defense conglomerate. In June 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States imposed sanctions on Shvabe, with the European Union following suit in December 2022.

Kazakhstan has not joined international sanctions against Russia, and since traffic lights are considered civilian products, their import does not directly violate any restrictions.

Orda.kz has contacted the Akimats of Aqtobe, Qostanay, Pavlodar, and Oskemen to determine whether there are potential risks of secondary sanctions and whether alternative suppliers are available.

During a visit to Buryatia, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador Dauren Abayev expressed interest in helicopters from the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, a company under sanctions for producing military equipment used by Russia in Ukraine.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Trade, and Ministry of Emergency Situations have informed Orda that there are no plans to collaborate with the aircraft manufacturer.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny