WP: American chips found in Russian military equipment

US authorities are investigating how American-made chips were installed on some copies of Russian military equipment found in Ukraine, The Washington Post writes, citing sources.

According to the publication, microcircuits and other US-made electronics components were found "in Russian radar systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, tanks, ground control equipment and coastal vessels."

The US Department of Commerce and the FBI are investigating.

Federal agents have begun interrogating American tech companies about how their computer chips ended up in Russian military equipment found in Ukraine.

According to the newspaper, many of these components appear to have been produced "many years ago, before the United States tightened export restrictions" in 2014.

It is noted that for many years, American companies could legally sell basic chips to Russia without prior government permission.