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And they have imposed sanctions on Rostec, Russia’s largest military and defense conglomerate; Mikron, the country’s largest maker and exporter of microchips; and Tactical Missiles Corporation, which produces missiles the Russian military is using in Ukraine.

Krasnikov, 64, is a lifelong Mikron employee, and in 2016, after Russia’s annexation of Crimea had triggered sanctions, Putin put him in charge of electronics as a national technological priority.

The invasion of Ukraine has isolated Russian science and triggered wide-ranging sanctions—including measures against Mikron.

Instead, Gennady Krasnikov, who leads Mikron, Russia’s biggest chipmaker, won the 20 September election.

Russia retains some manufacturers that produce chips of older designs, including Mikron, which was founded in Soviet times near Moscow.