Multiple Ukrainian civilians have filed lawsuits in Texas against major US chipmakers, claiming the firms failed to prevent their microchips from being deployed in Russian missiles and drones targeting Ukrainian cities.
According to Bloomberg, five civil lawsuits were filed Wednesday in Texas state court targeting Intel, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Texas Instruments and Mouser Electronics – a distributor owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.
The suits argue the companies displayed “willful ignorance” as restricted US-made chips were diverted through third parties into Russian and Iranian weapons systems despite sanctions.
Lawsuits tie US chips to deadly missile and drone strikes
“These companies know their chip technology is making its way into Russia,” attorney Mikal Watts, who filed the suits alongside the law firm Baker & Hostetler, said at a news conference.
The cases cite five Russian attacks between 2023 and 2025 that killed and wounded Ukrainian civilians. One involved Iranian-made drones with components linked to Intel and AMD; the others involved Russian-made KH-101 cruise missiles and Iskander ballistic missiles.
The plaintiffs accuse the companies of “domestic corporate negligence,” arguing they failed to adequately enforce export controls and diversion-prevention safeguards.
Companies say they comply with sanctions
Intel, AMD and Texas Instruments did not immediately comment on the lawsuits. They have previously said they fully adhere to US sanctions, halted business in Russia after Moscow’s 2022 invasion and maintain strict compliance systems.
Last year, Texas Instruments’ Assistant General Counsel Shannon Thompson told the US Congress the company “strongly opposes the use of our chips in Russian military equipment” and said any such shipments “are illicit and unauthorized.”
Mouser Electronics is accused of facilitating transfers of US-made chips to shell companies controlled by Russian proxies.
The lawsuits argue Mouser’s distribution decisions were “a substantial domestic component of the misconduct” that contributed to Ukrainian civilian casualties.
‘Intentional disregard’
The lawsuits argue that the companies have allowed their components to be “illegally” used in weapons.
“They have done nothing to stop it … This is intentional disregard,” Dustin Dow of Baker & Hostetler said, alleging that the companies “allowed semiconductor components to be illegally diverted” into precision-guided weapons targeting civilians.
A Bloomberg News investigation last year revealed long-standing sanctions and export controls have repeatedly failed to prevent US-made chips from reaching Russia’s defense industry through intermediaries.
These components have been found in drones, glide bombs, communication systems and Iskander missiles that strike Ukrainian cities.
Growing sanction pressure
Washington has increasingly warned semiconductor firms that they must do more to prevent diversion. Senator Richard Blumenthal said last year that chipmakers are “objectively and consciously failing to prevent Russia from benefiting from the use of their technology.”
The lawsuits name Texas as the venue because the companies – including Mouser – are headquartered or have major operations there. The filings state that the war makes it impossible to bring the cases before Ukrainian courts.
The cases have been submitted to the Circuit Court for the State of Texas (Dallas) and will become publicly visible once fully processed.