Western-Made Components Discovered in Russian Drones

Ukraine continues to discover new Western‑made components produced in 2025 inside Russian drones used to attack Ukrainian cities, highlighting ongoing sanctions evasion and the need to strengthen international pressure on Moscow, a Ukrainian presidential official said on Friday.

Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, said that Russia has not reduced the intensity of its attacks in recent days, striking cities including Odesa, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Ternopil and Kharkiv, Ukrinform reported.

“Notably, in the drones that attacked Ukraine last week, we are again finding new, fresh components from 2025 manufactured in Germany, Japan, Switzerland, the USA, as well as Taiwan and the United Kingdom,” Vlasiuk said.

According to the presidential commissioner, investigators identified a new component, known as a Transit Brd activation module, which has not previously been recorded in Russian drones.

Vlasiuk said Ukraine has already shared detailed information about the components with its international partners and continues to work with them to close supply channels.

He added that components from STMicroelectronics of Switzerland continue to be found in Russian weapons systems, despite repeated calls to tighten oversight of where such products are sold.

Vlasiuk stressed that Russia’s continued access to Western technology demonstrates the need to constantly strengthen sanctions pressure, even as some existing measures show results.

Other Topics of Interest

EU Opens 1st Negotiation Cluster for Ukraine, Moldova, Zelensky: ‘Progress Cannot Be Stopped’

EU governments have unanimously agreed to launch “Fundamentals” cluster negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, formally starting detailed negotiations on democracy, rule of law and core European values after more than a decade of Ukrainian aspiration. President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the step as a clear sign that the progress is irreversible and that Ukrainian and Moldovan reforms are being taken seriously.

At the same time, he said there is progress, noting that components from the Netherlands have become rare in newer Russian drone models, which he said proves coordinated efforts with partners can be effective.

The official said Ukraine is expanding so‑called long‑range sanctions, which he estimated have already cost Russia at least $7 billion this year.

Ukraine is also working to identify critical equipment for oil refineries and pumping stations, aiming to block its export to Russia and weaken the energy sector that finances the war, Vlasiuk said.

“The approach is simple: cut off access to technologies used in warfare and simultaneously reduce the resources that fund it,” he added.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine’s targeted sanctions against Russia’s oil and refining sector have also caused losses of at least $7 billion since the start of the year.