Russian drones and missile attacks over the weekend targeted Western regions of Ukraine, including Lviv. Credit: Volodymyr Zelenskyy via X
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Western components, including from the UK, are being found in Russian munitions
Other countries implicated include the US, the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China
Russia is continuing its bombardment of Ukrainian cities, with weekend attacks blanketing the country
For the second weekend running, air raid warnings were in effect across the entirety of Ukraine as hundreds of missiles and suicide drones were launched by Moscow. Whereas a week prior the missiles struck Kyiv and central and eastern cities, strikes over 4-5 October hit western region, including Lviv.
However, a key disclosure on 6 October by the Ukrainian government revealed the presence of western components in Russia’s munitions, including from the UK, despite the heavy sanctions levied against Moscow as a result of its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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According to a release by the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a total of 549 drones and missiles were launched by Russia into Ukraine, containing over 100,000 foreign-made components sourced from companies in the US, China and Taiwan, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, and the Netherlands.
“Every Russian missile and every Russian attack drone also contain parts that are still being supplied to Russia from Western countries and various countries close to Russia,” Zelenskyy stated.
“Now, in the fourth year of the full-scale war, it is simply strange to hear anyone claim they don’t know how to stop the flow of critical components,” he added.
Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities have intensified in recent weeks. Credit: Volodymyr Zelenskyy via X
The release revealed that during the latest attack Russia used 496 strike drones, including roughly 250 Shahed-136 suicide drones and 53 missiles: two air-launched Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, 42 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles, and nine Kalibr cruise missiles.
In total, these aerial weapons contained 102,785 foreign-made components, predominantly in the Shahed-136 drones (100,688 parts), with 1,500 in the Iskander-K cruise missiles, 192 in the Kinzhal hypersonics, and 405 in the Kalibr munitions.
The strikes follow a pattern of sustained waves of attacks during the early hours of weekend mornings, in a bid to cause as much disruption as possible. Attacks also appear indiscriminate, with residential buildings among those struck.
Russian weapons and foreign-made parts
The release from the office of President Zelenskyy stated that converters from US companies were found in Kh-101 missiles and Shahed-136 drones, also known as the Geran-2 in Russian service, along with microelectronics and sensors for UAVs and missiles.
Specific to the UK, Ukraine says that UK-manufactured microcomputers for drone flight control were found in Russian weapons, suggesting inclusion in the Shahed-136/Geran suicide drones.
Other foreign components included Germany switching connectors, processors from the Netherlands, servomotors and bearings from South Korea, Japanese optoisolators for cruise missiles, and microelectronics from China and Taiwan.
“We are carefully monitoring and analysing the components Russia continues to receive from third countries. Today, a systemic, coordinated G7-level decision is needed to close these loopholes and ensure sanctions are effective,” said Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Adviser – Commissioner of the President for Sanctions Policy.
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