Foreign components from US, Europe and Asia still found in Russian weapons used against Ukraine
Ukraine's sanctions policy commissioner said Russian drones, missiles and other weapons used against Ukraine continue to contain large numbers of recently manufactured foreign-made components from Western and Asian suppliers. Examinations of a Geran-4 drone shot down in August 2026 and an Iskander-M missile recovered in early July 2026 each identified dozens of parts from companies including Texas Instruments, with some manufactured as recently as this year. A newer sample of the Zarya-61 onboard computer from a Kinzhal missile shot down in May 2026 showed the return of American processors after a brief period of Russian substitution.
Key points
- Geran-4 drone shot down in Kyiv Oblast on 12 August 2026 contained 96 foreign-made components from the US, China, Taiwan, Germany, Switzerland and Canada.
- Iskander-M missile recovered in Kyiv Oblast in early July 2026 contained 147 foreign-made components from the US, Belarus, Switzerland, Germany, China and Japan.
- In the Geran-4, seven components were manufactured in 2026 and three in 2025; in the Iskander-M, at least 21 components date to 2025 with some from 2026.
- A Zarya-61 onboard computer from a Kinzhal missile shot down in May 2026 contained components manufactured 2021–2024, including a Texas Instruments DSP processor and IDT (Renesas) memory.
- An earlier board in the same computer carried a Texas Instruments processor with 1986 markings and AMD microcircuits from 1996.
- The Iskander-M also contained 36 Russian-made and 11 Belarusian-made components alongside its foreign parts.
- President's Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasyuk said Russia's domestic component base is insufficient for complex weapons systems.
Why it matters
The findings point to active, ongoing supply chains of Western and Asian electronics into Russian weapons rather than the depletion of old stockpiles, with manufacturing dates as recent as 2026 across multiple weapon systems. They identify specific manufacturers and countries of origin that can be targeted with export controls and sanctions enforcement. The return of American Texas Instruments processors in a 2026 Kinzhal sample — after Russia had briefly substituted them with domestic microcircuits — suggests that earlier claims of successful import substitution have not held up under sustained pressure.
What happened
Vladyslav Vlasyuk, Ukraine's Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, reported in comments to LIGA.net that examinations of downed and recovered Russian equipment continue to turn up foreign-made components from Western and Asian suppliers. A Geran-4 drone shot down in Kyiv Oblast on 12 August 2026 contained 96 foreign components from the United States, China, Taiwan, Germany, Switzerland and Canada; manufacturers identified include Texas Instruments, Amphenol, Diodes Incorporated, Kyocera AVX, Kemet, ON Semiconductor and Vishay Intertechnology. Seven of those components were manufactured in 2026 and three in 2025.
An Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile recovered from a strike site in Kyiv Oblast in early July 2026 contained 147 foreign components from the United States, Belarus, Switzerland, Germany, China and Japan, including parts from Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, Maxim Integrated, Cypress, STMicroelectronics, Macronix, Integrated Silicon Solution and MaxLinear. At least 21 of those components were manufactured in 2025, with some from 2026 also present. The same missile also carried 36 Russian-made and 11 Belarusian-made components.
A Zarya-61 onboard computer recovered from a Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile shot down in May 2026 contained components manufactured between 2021 and 2024, including a Texas Instruments DSP processor and memory from IDT, now owned by Japan's Renesas. A different board in the same computer carried a Texas Instruments processor with 1986 markings and AMD microcircuits from 1996. Earlier reporting had documented that in 2023 Russia had replaced American Texas Instruments processors in the Zarya-61 with domestic microcircuits; the 2026 sample showed that substitution was no longer present and American processors had returned. Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate has also published data on 155 enterprises of Russia's Roselektronika holding that produce components for Russian ballistic weapons, aircraft, drones and electronic warfare systems.
Background
The Geran-4 is a Russian drone used in attacks on Ukraine; the Iskander-M is a short-range ballistic missile system; the Kinzhal is an air-launched ballistic missile. Russia had previously attempted to replace certain American processors in the Zarya-61 onboard computer with domestically produced microcircuits. Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate has previously tracked Russian defense-industry holdings such as Roselektronika.