Where does Russia get foreign components for combat drones: the President's Office provided an answer
The primary supplier of critical components for Russian drones is China, accounting for 67% of the deliveries.
Downed Russian UAV / Photo: StratKom of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
This information was reported by the Presidential Office.
The international working group on sanctions against Russia, led by Head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak and Director of the Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), Ambassador Michael McFaul, has examined 174 foreign components extracted from three models of drones used by Russian forces on the battlefield in Ukraine.
In particular, the Russian army regularly employs three main models of drones: "Shahed-136/131," "Lancet," and "Orlan-10." At the same time, Russia still heavily relies on foreign-made components, especially microelectronics, in the production of these UAVs.
According to the research by the International Working Group, the primary supplier of critical components for Russian drones is China, accounting for 67% of the deliveries, with 17% of these components coming through Hong Kong. Turkey and the United Arab Emirates account for 5% and 2% of components, respectively.
Additionally, the drones were found to contain components manufactured in Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and other countries, including processors, microchips, transistors, and other vital components.
However, according to the International Working Group's report, many components can be obtained through publicly accessible platforms, which complicates regulatory oversight. Taking it into account, the group's experts called on manufacturers to do more to prevent Russia's access to their products in circumvention of economic sanctions.
"Russia is extremely active in using drones for massive attacks on infrastructural, civilian and military objects in Ukraine. So, it is very disturbing to see that important components for the production of enemy UAVs come from different states, in particular from countries that are allies of Ukraine. This issue requires our joint immediate response. We must take complex measures to prevent the aggressor from using critical components for the continuation of military operations on Ukrainian land," Andriy Yermak emphasized.
In particular, it is proposed to coordinate the sanctions lists between the partner countries, to unify the lists of dual-use goods based on the codes of the Harmonized System, and to expand the categories of goods subject to sanctions based on the codes of the Harmonized System.
Companies also should develop clearer instructions regarding compliance with the requirements of the law. It is recommended to strengthen cooperation between producers and authorities in order to improve compliance with sanctions and implement effective restrictive measures. In addition, governments should investigate known companies that do not adhere to specified sanctions policies.
According to experts, there is a need for more effective use of existing institutions and mechanisms. Specifically, the application of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) mechanisms can enhance export control measures, as bypassing sanctions often has similar patterns to money laundering. Applying AML methods to export controls is valuable for identifying structures in third countries that are crucial for the production and export of military goods to Russia, especially when the production occurs outside the coalition that imposed the sanctions.
"The report from the Yermak-McFaul working group is a call to action for strengthening international cooperation. As we navigate this complex landscape, information sharing and cooperation among coalition nations become paramount. Working together, we can effectively apply sanctions and enhance oversight to curb the unauthorized flow of critical technologies," says Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office and Secretary of the International Working Group on Sanctions Against Russia.
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