Ukrainian officials said on Thursday, May 28, that components manufactured at a Belarusian factory were discovered inside Russia’s “Oreshnik” missile used in attacks against Ukraine.
Officials from the Presidential Office, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Prosecutor General’s Office presented European ambassadors with foreign-made components extracted from Russian missiles and drones launched during Russia’s massive overnight attack on May 24.
During the assault, Russia launched 600 drones and 90 missiles, including an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile.
This is the third time Russia has used the weapon against Ukraine, which struck Bila Tserkva, roughly 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Kyiv. At least four people were killed, and nearly 100 were injured across the country.
According to the presentation, Russian Zircon, Kalibr and Kh-101 missiles, as well as Geran-2 drones, contained parts manufactured in Switzerland, Germany, the US, UK, Japan and China, including components produced this year.
Officials also displayed separate electronic boards from the Russian “Oreshnik” missile that contained exclusively Russian and Belarusian components manufactured between 2004 and 2014.
The comments come amid a planned rapprochement between Minsk and Washington, while Kyiv also warned that Moscow may draw Belarus deeper into the invasion.
Belarusian factory linked to missile components
Presidential sanctions adviser Vladyslav Vlasiuk said some of the missile components were produced by the Belarusian Integral plant in Minsk.
According to Vlasiuk, the factory manufactured microchips and electronic boards used in cruise missiles and “Oreshnik” systems.
“We need to focus and truly stop the supply of components entering Russia. This would become a significant blow to Russia’s defense production capabilities,” Vlasiuk said.
He also called for tighter restrictions on Belarus’s access to foreign electronic technologies.
Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa urged European governments to strengthen existing sanctions and accelerate work on new restrictions against Russia.
“You know Russia claims it is ready to launch more missiles against targets in Ukraine, especially Kyiv,” Palisa said. “They are not talking about so-called ‘decision-making centers.’ They are talking about civilians and civilian casualties.”
Palisa argued that Russia would be unable to sustain such attacks without foreign industrial support and imported technologies.
Ukrainian officials also called for closer coordination against Russia’s shadow fleet, which Kyiv says generated more than $101 billion in revenue for Moscow in 2025, much of it used to finance weapons production.
According to the Presidential Office, participants discussed threats posed by Russia’s shadow fleet to broader European security, including espionage, intelligence gathering and environmental risks.
European ambassadors expressed support for Ukraine’s proposals and agreed to continue discussions on expanding sanctions and inspections targeting Russia’s shadow fleet, the statement says.