Foreign components found in Russian "Shaheds": Countries of origin

Foreign components produced as recently as 2025 continue to surface in the UAVs Russia uses to strike Ukrainian cities.

Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukraine’s Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, revealed the findings in a comment to Ukrinform.

Bypassing sanctions: Supply chain details

According to the official, despite international restrictions, Russia maintains access to technologies from Western and Asian nations.

"The striking part is this: in drones that attacked Ukraine last week, we are again detecting fresh components manufactured in 2025—originating from Germany, Japan, Switzerland, the US, as well as Taiwan and the UK," Vlasiuk said.

He noted that a new part—the Transit Brd activation unit—was identified in Russian drones for the first time. Additionally, components from the Swiss firm STMicroelectronics are still being recovered, despite repeated calls for the company to tighten oversight of its sales and distribution.

Sanctions efficacy and new restrictions

At the same time, the Commissioner pointed out that systematic cooperation with international partners is yielding results. For instance, components from the Netherlands have nearly vanished from newer Russian drone models.

"This is direct proof that consistent work with our partners is effective and manages to cut off access to critical technologies," he remarked.

Vlasiuk addds that Ukraine is also working to expand so-called "long-range sanctions." According to his estimates, these measures have already cost Russia at least $7 billion this year. Currently, the Ukrainian side is compiling a list of critical equipment for Russian oil refineries and pumping stations to restrict its export to the Russian Federation.

"Our approach is simple: cut off access to technologies used in the war while simultaneously draining the resources that fund it. All information has been shared with our partners," the Presidential Commissioner concluded.