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Indian component found in Russian weapon for first time, HUR says

by Tim Zadorozhnyy April 7, 2025 2:00 PM 2 min read
Debris of a Shahed 136 kamikaze drone launched by Russia on view at an exhibition in Kyiv on May 12, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Oleksii Samsonov /Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
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An Indian-made component was identified in a Russian weapon system for the first time, while nearly all American-made parts have been phased out, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on April 7.

"For the first time, a component made in India — a clock buffer from Aura Semiconductor — was found in a Russian weapon," HUR said in a Telegram post.

The discovery came as HUR documented nearly 200 newly identified parts across six types of Russian weaponry.

These include the CRP antenna from the Russian-modified Shahed drone, North Korea's KN-24 ballistic missile, the onboard computer in the X-47 Kinzhal missile, and several reconnaissance and attack drones — including the Supercam S350, Gerbera, and Zala.

The Iranian-designed Shahed-136 drone, known as Geran-2 when produced in Russia, has been widely deployed by Moscow for loitering kamikaze missions targeting Ukrainian cities, energy infrastructure, and frontline positions.

According to HUR, only two American chips remain in the latest CRP antenna design of the Geran-2, illustrating Russia's shift toward components from countries not enforcing sanctions.

In previous drone variants, antennas labeled in Chinese featured 13 out of 15 components made by Chinese firms, including key signal-processing chips from the Beijing Microelectronics Technology Institute.

For years, Russia has served as India's top arms supplier. However, the imposition of international sanctions has forced India to diversify its defense procurement and deepen its ties with Western arms producers.

While India has publicly urged a diplomatic resolution to Russia's war in Ukraine, it has also continued expanding trade with Moscow.

Russia's strongest economic and military partner remains China, with both countries conducting joint drills alongside allies like Belarus and Iran. Beijing has also emerged as one of Russia's leading sources of dual-use goods that feed the Russian defense industry.

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