The Indian defense company says it has not resell British technology to Russia

An Indian defense company says that it has not resell sensitive technology to Russia that was supplied by one of the largest business donors in the populist reform of the British party.

The New York Times reported in March That according to the shipping records 2023 and 2024 export the British space manufacturer HR Smith Group equipment to India that was crucially marked for Russian weapon systems. That included channels, cockpit equipment and antennas.

The Indian company, Hindustan Aeronautics, is the largest trading partner of the Russian Wapenbureau Rosoboronexport.

Hindustan Aeronautics did not respond to repeated requests for comments, but a lawyer for HR Smith recently gave the Times a statement from Hindustan Aeronautics that remained that the British equipment was not sold to Russia. The statement was a week after the Times article was published and reporting was received in India.

This corresponds to the report of the HR Smith Group, which said its sale was legal and that the equipment was used in an Indian search and rescue network. The components “supporting life -saving operations” and are “not designed for military use,” said Nick Watson, a lawyer for the company.

In his statement, Hindustan Aeronautics said that the parts were used for helicopters operated in India.

Shipping records showed that in some cases it sent parts to Russia within a few days of receiving the British equipment with the same identifying product codes. Those codes Relationship on specific types of equipment, such as radar technology, but can cover a number of parts. HR Smith said this meant that the codes could not be used to connect its parts to those who are sold by the Indian company.

HR Smith Group donated 100,000 pounds (slightly less than $ 130,000) last year to reform the UK, two days after Nigel Farage was announced as leader of the party. The company is run by Richard Smith, a businessman who owns 55 Tufton Street, a mansion in Westminster who is home to some of the most influential right-wing lobby and research groups in Great Britain.

Great -Britain and the United States have banned the sale of equipment to Rosoboronexport, but India does not have that. Western companies are allowed to sell to Indian companies, but are insisted on being diligent to ensure that parts are not diverted to Russia.

Hindustan Aeronautics is identifiable in public registers as a supplier of the Russian army, but is not under financial sanctions, so that British companies can sell it.

Mr. Farage said by telephone by telephone and said that he “never approved anything that Putin did”, but refused to comment on the sale of HR Smith. A party spokesperson said the donation was legal.

“Such sad attempts to lubricate reform will not work,” said the spokesperson.