Five lawsuits were filed in Texas this week, putting some of the biggest names in PC tech under an uncomfortable spotlight. AMD, Intel, Texas Instruments, and a company owned by Berkshire Hathaway were accused of failing to do enough to prevent their technologies from falling into Russia’s sanctioned hands, according to Bloomberg. Some of the accusatory language was highly charged, criticizing the American tech titans for “willful ignorance” or even for being “merchants of death.”
The US, EU, UK, and G7 announced sanctions on Russia almost immediately after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. AMD and Intel ceased direct shipments to Russia within weeks to comply with the latest export controls. Sanctions were ramped up and tightened as the brutal war rumbled on. However, most people are aware that Russia is still getting advanced US tech to power its war machine. In fact, the five lawsuits highlight alleged examples of AMD and Intel components being found in drones and missiles in incidents spanning 2023 to 2025.
