A rare glimpse into the Russian tech war machine: In a major crackdown on networks used by Moscow’s intelligence services, Russian businessman Maxim Ermakov was recently sanctioned by the UK (pdf) and the US for involvement in procuring Western technology for Russia’s use. Ermakov, who worked for Istok — a tech company that makes electronic warfare systems for the Russian military — had been buying microchips from Marc Rocchi, director-general of a French microchip manufacturer called Ommic, to get them into Russia, reports the Financial Times.

After Moscow invaded Ukraine, electronic warfare became essential. With drones and surveillance equipment littering the battlefield, specialist microchips, like the ones Ermakov was sourcing from Ommic, became vital to the Russian defense.

But, with European export controls getting in the way, regulations preventing the export of technology with both civilian and military applications, and local production being too expensive, Russia had to turn to smuggling, Chris Miller, Tufts professor and author of Chip War: The Fight For The World’s Most Critical Technology, told the Financial Times.

Russia’s smuggling operations are nothing new. It became clear in the 1940s that the Soviet Union was falling behind their western counterparts in microchip production. Then, hundreds of intelligence officers, under a division called “Line X,” were sent around the world to find ways to acquire parts and technology, says the same article.

Ermakov’s network is still active despite being brought to light, according to the Financial Times. The covert operations had extensive presence in Ireland, France, Dubai, Germany, Singapore, China, Turkey, Greece, and Serbia, dating back decades.

Who really stands to gain from the war against obesity? Interest in Ozempic, a Type 2 diabetes medication, skyrocketed earlier this year when its weight loss side-effects made it into the public consciousness. In 3Q 2023, manufacturer Novo Nordisk saw sales of Ozempic hit USD 3.48 bn, rising 56% y-o-y, according to its financials (pdf).

Demand for the drug has increased 300% since 2020, according to Time. Its use as a weight loss aid has escalated to the point that it has recently gone into shortage, with Type 2 diabetes patients struggling to find their life-saving drug. No measures have been put in place to prioritize consumers who need the drug to treat medical ailments.

The Ozempic obsession is a throwback to the diet culture of the 2000s, which surfaced as a cumulative effect of a century of diet fads and an obsession with thinness. Shows like The Biggest Loser and weight loss corporations like Weight Watchers made extra weight and obesity not just a medical concern, but a social one…

… which led to discrimination. In fact, research on the correlation between weight and health has repeatedly shown that half of those with obesity are metabolically healthy and not at elevated risk for heart disease or death. Instead, the bulk of the harm overweight people experience come from stigma enforced at doctor’s offices, the workplace, and social settings.

Weight bias is backed up by enough evidence that lawmakers in the US are drafting a billto prohibit discrimination against people based on weight. Women, of course, bear the brunt of it. A report published in 2011 revealed that heavier women earn less than thinner counterparts and receive less frequent raises and promotions.

Men don’t face similar weight bias in the workplace, with some studies even showing that white men who are seen as overweight earn more.

Doctors are unsure whether the Ozempic craze is beneficial in the long run, but it’s not difficult to imagine where drug manufacturers whose market capitalization has reached nearly USD 447 bn stand on the issue.

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