MOSCOW, September 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will boost its production of space microelectronics, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin told Rossiya-24 television Monday.
Western sanctions against Russia have two main objectives, Rogozin said. Firstly, to affect machine tools that are used to produce components needed by the country’s space industry, and secondly, to affect electronics.
“Second objective is to harm electronics, microelectronics in particular, especially those that are capable of sustaining bombardment of heavy particles in space,” Rogozin said.
The market for such components has been open until recently, explaining why Russia has been purchasing them from abroad instead of producing them.
“This will be a challenging task, but it will be solved. I guarantee it will be solved, because today sanctions are a challenge to our national character,” Rogozin concluded.
The European Union and the United States have imposed several rounds of anti-Russian economic sanctions over Moscow's alleged role in the Ukrainian conflict, targeting in particular Russia's defense industry.
In response to the sanctions, Russia has taken measures aimed at replacing imports from Western countries with local alternatives.
The Russian government is also working on an import substitution program to replace Western components used in the country's defense industry affected by the sanctions. The program is expected to be implemented in October.
