Tue Apr 01 04:49:33 UTC 2025: ## British Firm Denies NYT Report of Supplying Russia with Sensitive Technology via India

**London/New Delhi** – British aerospace manufacturer HR Smith Group has vehemently denied allegations by the New York Times that it supplied sensitive technology to Russia via India. The NYT article, titled “Major Donor to Reform U.K. Party Sold Parts Used In Weapons to Russian Supplier,” claimed the company sold nearly $2 million worth of transmitters, cockpit equipment, and other technologies to a Russian arms agency, Rosoboroneexport, via Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), an Indian state-run aerospace company.

HR Smith Group stated the allegations are “entirely false,” asserting that the products in question were intended for a satellite-based search and rescue network and were not designed for military use. The company insists it adheres to all applicable export controls and maintains rigorous supply chain monitoring. They further contend that the NYT’s connection between their products and those supplied to Russia is based solely on a common Harmonized System code, a broad product classification insufficient to establish a direct link.

The NYT report detailed 118 shipments from HR Smith Group to HAL between 2023 and 2024, followed by 13 shipments of similar products from HAL to Rosoboroneexport. Both the UK and US have banned such exports to Russia since the Ukraine war began.

While HAL has yet to respond to the allegations, Indian government sources have also dismissed the NYT report as “factually incorrect and misleading,” accusing the publication of distorting facts to fit a political narrative. These sources maintain that HAL has fully complied with all international strategic trade controls. They called on media outlets to exercise greater due diligence before publishing such reports. HR Smith Group echoed this sentiment, stating they were not provided with any evidence to support the NYT’s claims.

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