Russia sustains its war in Ukraine through a sophisticated spy network operating from Japan, where a GRU unit called the 20th Directorate smuggles high-tech components despite Western sanctions. Investigative reporter Jane Bradley uncovered how dozens of Russian intelligence officers exploit Japan's weak espionage laws to procure semiconductors and machine tools—90% of Russian weapons contain Japanese components—funneling them through third countries to evade sanctions, until her reporting forced the lead spy to flee. Russia's 20th Directorate, a specialized GRU unit dedicated to sanctions evasion, operates openly in Japan using state-owned Aeroflot as cover to build relationships with logistics companies that smuggle high-tech weapon components to Russia.