The Russian military is using its China ties as a conduit to getting around U.S. sanctions during Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

China is helping Russia access banned technology from 59 U.S. technology companies, according to a Newsweek exclusive.

The Kyiv School of Economics think tank claims 64% of the critical components in Russian weapons come from U.S. companies, importing $20.3 billion in components between March and December, according to the report.

"What we see from this data is that Russia's military still relies mostly on Western components," according to Kyiv School of Economics' Elina Ribakova to Newsweek.

Russia has imported technology from 155 companies from the U.S., Europe, Asia, or the Middle East, but there was just a 15% decline in banned imported components from the first year of the war to the second as U.S. sanctions ramped up, according to the report.

"We're at the point now where the export controls should start having an impact, but Russia is adapting," Center for a New American Security's Emily Kilcrease told Newsweek.

"We've taken the big swing we could take. Now it's really about enforcement."

Companies who have found their components in Russian weapons used on the battlefield assured Newsweek they do not do business with Russia and condemned the war.

"Companies have to do better; they just have to do better," Erika Trujillo, co-founder and managing director of German trade compliance firm SEIA, told Newsweek.

"With Russia, where we're at isn't enough."

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