Ukraine Archives - Gizmochina

Sanctions on Russia Fail to Stop Flow of Japanese Semiconductors

Oğuz Çakır — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 18:44:26 +0000

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for over a year and a half, and unfortunately, it shows no signs of slowing down. Thousands of people have been killed and billions of dollars worth of damage has been done. Despite this, the two sides have yet to sit down for peace negotiations. Russia has continued to make advances in Ukraine, seemingly unaffected by the embargo that has been imposed on it. However, it appears that Russia may not be as troubled as we thought. Semiconductors made by Japanese manufacturers are still making their way into the country. Here are the details…

China a major transit point for Japanese semiconductors to Russia

Russia has been facing a global backlash for its invasion of Ukraine. Many countries have condemned the invasion and imposed sanctions on Russia, which have caused economic difficulties for the country. Some companies, such as Apple and Samsung, have also withdrawn from Russia. This was intended to put pressure on the Russian government to withdraw from Ukraine, but it has not yet had the desired effect.

Japan has imposed sanctions on Russia, but Japanese-made semiconductors are still finding their way into the country. This is because the semiconductors are being sent through intermediary countries, such as China. Japan’s Foreign Exchange Law only applies to direct exports from Japan, so it is difficult for the Japanese government to stop the flow of semiconductors through third-party countries.

In 2022, Japan exported $11 million worth of semiconductors to Russia. China was the top destination for these exports, accounting for over 70% of the shipments, followed by South Korea and Turkey. The Japanese government has tightened its export controls on semiconductors, but it is still difficult to stop the flow of these products to Russia. Unfortunately, it is unknown whether this extra measures will work or not.

RELATED:

(via)

The post Sanctions on Russia Fail to Stop Flow of Japanese Semiconductors appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi Accused of Being an “International War Sponsor” by Ukraine

Oğuz Çakır — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 10:58:32 +0000

The tension between Russia and Ukraine continues at full speed. As the ongoing war passes its first-year mark, no progress has been made towards a ceasefire or peace agreement, leaving both countries negatively impacted. Ukraine is nearly in ruins due to the ongoing conflict, while Russia faces isolation from the rest of the world and numerous global companies, resulting in a severe economic downturn. However, it’s not just countries that are affected by this situation; neutral and multinational corporations are also experiencing significant losses. Ukraine recently accused Xiaomi of being an “International War Sponsor”. Here are the details…

Xiaomi Accused of Being an “International War Sponsor” by Ukraine

Xiaomi has unexpectedly found itself embroiled in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with serious accusations being leveled against the company. National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption of Ukraine (NAZK) announced that Xiaomi was added to the list of “International War Sponsors.” The Ukrainian government cited two primary reasons for this decision.

1/4The NACP included the Chinese @Xiaomi Corporation in the list of international war sponsors: https://t.co/Ph3cTQmbdc.
— NACP Ukraine (@NAZK_gov) April 13, 2023

Authorities claim that Xiaomi has remained active in the Russian market and has been a leading smartphone brand in the country since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began. While Xiaomi has not conducted marketing campaigns since spring 2022, the company still holds a significant market share in Russia.

Since 2018, Xiaomi has been dominating online sales in Russia, boasting a vast network of official authorized retail stores. Recent NAZK data revealed that Xiaomi’s market share in Russia doubled in 2022, with Q3 deliveries increasing by 39% compared to the previous quarter. In the previous year, Xiaomi’s revenue in Russia reached a staggering $202 million.

The press release from the Ukraine stated that the decision to include Xiaomi in the list of international war sponsors was based on the company’s continued operation in Russia after its “full-scale invasion.” Despite these circumstances, Xiaomi remains the leading smartphone brand in what the Ukrainian government refers to as a “terrorist state.”

Xiaomi has consistently ranked first in sales on Russian online stores since 2018 and maintains a massive offline official authorized retail network throughout the country. In 2022, Xiaomi doubled its market share in Russia, solidifying its position as the nation’s leading smartphone brand. By July 2022, Xiaomi and its sub-brand POCO held a 42% market share in Russian smartphone sales, ranking first in terms of revenue.

Official data shows that, in 2021, Xiaomi’s Russian subsidiary generated $202 million in revenue. The Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Bureau claims that the taxes paid on this significant revenue have been used to support the Russian military and “fund the war against Ukraine.”

Xiaomi is currently actively resuming recruitment for its Russian office and has announced the official launch of its flagship smartphones, indicating the company’s intention to fully restore its operations in Russia. Consequently, the Ukrainian government accuses Xiaomi of sponsoring a terrorist state’s military aggression and believes the company will face the reputational and legal consequences of its actions.

As of now, the Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Bureau has included 21 companies in its list of international war sponsors. Xiaomi’s inclusion in this list comes as a shock to many and highlights the far-reaching effects of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine on the global tech industry.

RELATED:

(source/source)

The post Xiaomi Accused of Being an “International War Sponsor” by Ukraine appeared first on Gizmochina.

Watch: Smartphone saves Soldier’s life from a Bullet in Ukraine

Sean — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 09:28:12 +0000

A new video has just surfaced that shows a soldier whose life was saved thanks to his smartphone. The soldier claimed that a stray bullet had hit the smartphone that he was carrying.

For those unaware, Russia and Ukraine are having active military clashes as the former continues its invasion of Ukraine. The situation has become a major international incident. But, it is unclear how things will play out. The short 45 second video was uploaded on YouTube, with the Ukrainian soldier showing his ally his smartphone. Looking at the clip, we can see the remains of a 7.62mm bullet lodged in the handset and the soldier telling his ally, who is shooting the video, that the “smartphone saved my life.”

Notably, the video of the soldier was shot in the trenches where we can also hear sounds of gunfire and explosions in the distance. As of right now, it is unclear which brand the smartphone belonged to, but it appears to be a Samsung model based on the type of protective cover it had.

Interestingly, this is not an isolated event, as smartphones have also saved the lives of people from bullets in the past as well. Back in 2016, a man from Afghanistan claimed that the Nokia 301 saved his life when a bullet lodged into the device (Via 91Mobiles). Similarly in 2012, a Nokia X2 owner also claimed that a stray bullet struck his phone when he was filming a fight between rebels.

Acer Halts its Business Operations in Russia Amid Current Humanitarian Crisis

Leo Wong De Quan — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 14:48:57 +0000

Acer is a Taiwanese international hardware and electronics corporation, specializing in advanced electronics technology. The company is most well renowned for its laptops internationally, specifically for its Acer Nitro gaming lineup, Acer Swift ultrabook series and Acer Aspire budget lineup.

Over the years, the company has proved to be a strong competitor in the laptop space with its relatively performant laptops at affordable prices and has since expanded globally to regions beyond Asia such as in the United States, Europe, Australia and also Russia.

However, it seems that the brand is halting its operations in one of its key global markets amid the region’s current humanitarian crisis. The region, in particular, is called Russia.

As the situation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine does not seem to be slowing down, Acer recently published a media statement on Twitter stating that the company will be suspending its business operations in Russia. The decision was made in compliance with international trade laws and regulations in mind as several countries and regions have decided to impose sanctions on Russia to denounce the Russian Federation for its foreign special military operations in Ukraine.

pic.twitter.com/kynYDvKXGn

— Acer (@Acer) April 8, 2022

Acer in the statement also mentions that the company is closely following the developments of the war between Russia and Ukraine. The company emphasises that Acer prioritises the safety of its employees, which includes providing assistance to every individual and family affected by the war.

To conclude the statement, Acer extends its warm wishes that peace will be restored as soon as possible. The brand is also working closely with several international agencies and NGOs to provide humanitarian support in the conflict regions.

RELATED:

(Source)

The post Acer Halts its Business Operations in Russia Amid Current Humanitarian Crisis appeared first on Gizmochina.

Google Suspends Google Play Store Purchases and Subscriptions for Android users in Russia

Leo Wong De Quan — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 15:50:20 +0000

As the Russian Ruble continues to decline in currency exchange markets, and as more piling-upped sanctions are imposed on Russia, more companies and corporations are pulling out of Russia not only because they do not support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but also because they need to comply with the local and international sanctions in tangent with the heavy devaluation of the Russian Ruble which leads to lesser profits for the multinational corporations.

In late February, Google had earlier announced that it will be cutting down on advertisements and media from the Russian Federation as a response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. However, this week, the company has taken further action on the ongoing situation as the company has paused the Google Play Store’s billing system for Android users in Russia.

In the official statement from Google, the company states that due to payment system disruptions, Google Play has paused its billing system for users in Russia as of March 10, 2022. Google clarified that this means users cannot purchase apps and games, make subscription payments or conduct any in-app purchases of digital goods via the Google Play Store in Russia. Free apps will remain available on the Play Store to download and install.

As for existing user subscriptions via the Google Play Store, Google informs that subscriptions will unfortunately not be able to be renewed and will be cancelled. However, the existing subscription(ie the 1-month or 1-year subscription that the Russian Android user had purchased prior to this announcement) will continue until the end of the then-current billing period. The company also clarifies that it will still honour existing developer subscription billing grace periods and any free trials will continue to work until payments are attempted.

On a closing note, Google also states that the situation is rapidly evolving and that the company encourages users to follow Google for Google’s latest update on the matter if there are changes of action.

RELATED:

(Source)

The post Google Suspends Google Play Store Purchases and Subscriptions for Android users in Russia appeared first on Gizmochina.

Intel and AMD halt all shipments to Russia and Belarus over Ukraine invasion

Sean — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 10:45:44 +0000

Due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, various companies had sought to cut ties with Russia. Now, Intel and AMD have also followed suit and have suspended all shipments to the region following the Russian invasion into Ukraine.

As of right now, both Team Blue and Team Red have halted all component shipments to Russia and Belarus. This move will affect both the consumer segment and data center operations in the region. Furthermore, losing supply from the two chip giants, Russia will have both its economy and even its networking infrastructure affected as well. Notably, the implications of Intel and AMD cutting off supply could possibly even impact the military sector too, which also relies on certain components manufactured by these two firms.

In an official statement, the American chip giant stated that it “condemns the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and has suspended all shipments to customers in both Russia and Belarus. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by this war, including the people of Ukraine and the surrounding countries and all those around the world with family, friends and loved ones in the region.”

Similarly, AMD is also making a similar move and its representatives have confirmed that the company is suspending all of its sales and distribution to Russia and Belarus. Keep in mind that this includes products outside of chipsets as well, like PCs and more. Although, Russia an Belarus aren’t exactly major customers for the companies since they largely rely on their home grown Baikal processors. So it remains to be seen how this move affects the region.

Elon Musk warns that SpaceX’s Starlink system may be targeted in Ukraine

Sean — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 08:32:30 +0000

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has shared a warning that there is a high change for its Starlink satellite broadband system to be “targeted” in Ukraine that has been facing an ongoing crisis due to the Russian invasion.

The warning from the executive arrives after an internet security researched warned that devices that use satellite communications could potentially become “beacons” that Russia could use to target for airstrikes. Thus, Elon Musk tweet read “Important warning: Starlink is the only non Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine, so probability of being targeted is high. Please use with caution.”

Furthermore, he asked users to “turn on Starlink only when needed and place antenna away as far away from people as possible.” He added that users should place “light camouflage over antenna to avoid visual detection.” Last week, the senior SpaceX official announced that the company had activated its services in Ukraine and SpaceX was sending more terminals to the country. This announcement arrived as a response to a Ukraine government official who had requested Musk to provide the nation with additional Starlink stations.

Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has since thanked Starlink for “keeping our cities connected and emergency services saving lives!” Although, the government official said that the country needs generators to keep Starlink service online due to Russian attacks on the nation’s infrastructure. This also led Elon Musk to release an update that reduced Starlin’s peak power consumption.

Russia smartphone market declines in 2021, will likely sink further over Ukraine invasion

Sean — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 09:40:56 +0000

In 2021, the smartphone market in Russia saw a slight fall over the previous year. But while there were many reasons for the initial decline, it seems that the negative trend might continue in 2022 as well, owing to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The news arrives from Counterpoint Research, who noted that the Russian handset market fell by 7 percent year on year in 2021. Although, it saw a 10 percent rise quarter on quarter in Q4 2021. During this time, Samsung continued to lead the market with a sizeable 30 percent market share, which was followed by Xiaomi with 23 percent and Apple with 13 percent market shares. The modest decline in 2021 was primarily attributed to slower upgrade cycles for consumers that were using mid to high end devices.

Furthermore, Research Director Tarun Pathak stated that “Chinese brands contributed 44% of the total market in 2021 compared to 46% in 2020. The decline can be attributed to Huawei’s loss, but Chinese brands are gaining again, especially Xiaomi, HONOR and realme. Xiaomi has been steadily increasing its share in the market along with Samsung and Apple.”

However, the region might see a sharper fall in 2022, with Pathak further adding that “The current war has changed the entire landscape and pushed the handset market into uncertainty. The fall in ruble will lead to a steep price rise in the short term due to limited inventory and suspended deliveries. Also, as sanctions gather pace, it will be hard for OEMs to make a conclusive device strategy.”

Apple stops selling its product in Russia following Ukraine Invasion

Sean — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 06:30:05 +0000

Apple has recently halted all sales of its products from its official website in Russia. So now, you can longer buy its iPhones, Macs, and other products in the region, which is due to the ongoing Russian invasion into Ukraine.

Via MacRumors

Notably, the news arrives after the Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, urging the Cuptertino based giant to stop all product sales and terminate its services in Russia. Now, the iPhone maker has revealed in a statement that it has stopped all exports into the sales channel of the country. Furthermore, it has also disabled traffic and live incidents on the Apple Maps in Ukraine for the safety of Ukrainian citizens.

The company stated that “We have taken a number of actions in response to the invasion. We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country. Apple Pay and other services have been limited. RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia. And we have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens. We will continue to evaluate the situation and are in communication with the relevant governments on the actions we are taking. We join all those around the world who are calling for peace.”

Tim Cook further added that Apple will be matching all donations from its employees at a 2:1 ratio for eligible organizations. At the moment, the App Store is still live in Russia, but, Apple Pay has been limited and certain services are now unavailable in the country. The move from the company also arrives after US sanctions that sought to prevent the brand from exporting select products to the country. While Apple did not immediately respond to these US sanctions, it seems that it responded to the letter from Ukraine.

Telecoms offer free calls & waive roaming chargers in Ukraine due to ongoing crisis

Sean — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 11:15:07 +0000

With Ukraine facing an invasion, dozens of telecom operators have are providing free international calls to the region and are even waiving off roaming charging with the country to help people in the nation amid the ongoing crisis.

Notably, telecom operators include Deutsche Telekom, AT&T, Vodafone, Orange, Telefonica, Telia Company, A1 Telekom Austria Group, Telenor, Proximus, KPN, Vodafone, Vivacom, TIM Telecom Italia, Altice Portugal and Swisscom. Furthermore, some of these companies are even providing offers that include SIM cards to refugees in neighboring nations, offering free Wi-Fi in refugee camps. The firms have even activated the “SMS Donation” function to help organizations aiding the refugees and are including Ukrainian channels in the IPTV packages for free.

US Telecom group AT&T had also announced last month that its US consumer and business customers will be eligible for unlimited long distance calls to Ukraine till the 7th of March 2022. On the other hand, Verizon announced that it will be waiving roaming charges for calls from residential landline and consumer or business wireless phones to and from Ukraine till March 10. It is even removing costs for voice and text based roaming charges for customers in the country. Overall, the telecom operators that are providing these temporary offers are from both sides of the Atlantic and seek to help people in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

Ukraine urges Apple to stop its product sales & App Store service in Russia

Sean — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 06:11:51 +0000

Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier this week. In this letter, the government official asked to stop the sales of its products and even block Russia’s access to its App Store.

Fedorov’s letter stated that he is asking for the Cupertino based giant’s support amid the ongoing crisis (the invasion of Ukraine). It is asking the brand to stop supply its services and products to users in Russia. At the moment, Apple sells its iPhones, Macs, and other products through its official website in Russia. However, the US has already pushed sanctions that will prevent the company from exporting select products to Russia. But, this move might have not affected the brand yet since it has not stopped sales as of right now.

The letter states “I appeal to you and I am sure you will not only hear, but also do everything possible to protect Ukraine, Europe, and finally, the entire democratic world from bloody authoritarian aggression – to stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russian Federation, including blocking access to App Store! We are sure that such actions will motivate youth and active population of Russia to proactively stop the disgraceful military aggression.”

I’ve contacted @tim_cook, Apple's CEO, to block the Apple Store for citizens of the Russian Federation, and to support the package of US government sanctions! If you agree to have the president-killer, then you will have to be satisfied with the only available site Russia 24. pic.twitter.com/b5dm78g2vS

— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 25, 2022

Recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that he was “deeply concerned” with the situation in Ukraine and that Apple will be “supporting local humanitarian efforts.” Currently, the App Store in Russia is operational, although, sanctions on banks have interfered with Apple Pay. This includes five major Russian banks that are no longer eligible for Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Twitter Ads Suspended in Ukraine, Russia to Ensure Public Safety in the Region

Leo Wong De Quan — Sun, 27 Feb 2022 00:30:07 +0000

February 24th, 2022 is the day when Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation waged war on its neighbouring European country, Ukraine. Amidst the crisis, the Ukrainian government has pleaded with many countries and organisations to take actions in the region to hopefully resolve the conflict in the region and to protect the developing European country from being invaded by a global superpower like Russia.

Many countries have imposed sanctions on Russian companies as an act of solidarity with Ukraine’s sovereignty as a country and many organisations have been donating towards the cause of protecting innocent Ukrainian citizens in the war.

Twitter, the San-Francisco based tech giant is the latest organisation to take action towards the Ukraine-Russia war and on February 26, the platform has announced that it will be pausing advertisements in Ukraine and Russia. The move serves to ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads don’t detract from it. To illustrate, citizens in the region will be able to focus on the everchanging severity of the situation from time to time without the distraction of ads, so that they can keep themselves out of harm’s way in these trying times.

We’re temporarily pausing advertisements in Ukraine and Russia to ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads don’t detract from it.

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) February 25, 2022

In an earlier statement, Twitter has also expressed its condemnation of Russia invading Ukraine. The team behind Twitter mention that they’re actively monitoring for risks associated with the conflict in Ukraine, including identifying and disrupting attempts to amplify false and misleading information on the platform.

In addition, the platform has also paused Tweet Recommendations for Ukrainian and Russian users. Twitter hopes that the move can help to reduce the spread of misinformation and abusive content of the war among the Ukrainian and Russian general public.

No exact date was given on when the suspension of these Twitter features and services will end, but it is expected that Twitter will only resume these features once the war has officially ended to protect both the safety and well-being of innocent commonfolk in the regions.

RELATED:

(Source, Via)

The post Twitter Ads Suspended in Ukraine, Russia to Ensure Public Safety in the Region appeared first on Gizmochina.

Russia Banned from Joining MWC 2022 and GSMA Events

Leo Wong De Quan — Sat, 26 Feb 2022 12:33:54 +0000

The MWC could not be held physically in the years 2020 and 2021 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, in 2022, the pandemic concerns have relatively been slowing down and GSMA had great news that the world’s largest technology convention, Mobile World Congress, MWC 2022 will be held physically once again in Barcelona, Spain on February 28, 2022. This great news comes 2 years after its hiatus since 2019!

However, 2022 has its fair share of global issues to tackle, as of February 24, 2022, the Ukraine-Russian conflict has developed into an all-out war, with Russia first invading Ukraine. As condemnation towards the Russian leaders in charge of the war, many European countries have imposed sanctions and banned Russia from participating in global events such as the Eurovision Song Contest and the F1 Grand Prix.

And today, GSMA is the latest organisation added to the list of organisations against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as GSMA has officially announced that Russia is banned from joining MWC 2022 and its other related events this year.

Here’s the excerpt that GSMA has posted on its website:

“The GSMA strongly condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The situation is fast-moving, and we understand that various governments are considering broader sanctions against Russia. In light of this emerging situation and considering the tragic loss of life, MWC seems immaterial under the circumstances. MWC is a unifying event with a vision to convene the mobile ecosystem to progress ways and means that connectivity can ensure people, industry, and society thrive.

The GSMA follows all government sanctions and policies resulting from this situation. There will be no Russian Pavilion at MWC 2022. Security for the event is constantly reviewed and adjusted as information emerges.”

In solidarity and support of the sanctions against Russia, GSMA has officially confirmed it has also blacklisted several Russian companies participating in the event along with other GSMA-related events. GSMA has no plans of delaying MWC 2022. Instead, GSMA views the congress as “a unifying event” that can bring countries that brings the people, industry and society as a whole to progress.

RELATED:

(Source, Via)

The post Russia Banned from Joining MWC 2022 and GSMA Events appeared first on Gizmochina.