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Over 100,000 Western-made parts found in drones, missiles used in Russian recent mass attack, Zelensky says

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Over 100,000 Western-made parts found in drones, missiles used in Russian recent mass attack, Zelensky says
The missile stuck in the ground of a civilian neighborhood on February 2, 2024 in Krasnohorivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)

More than 100,000 Western-made components were discovered in drones and missiles launched by Russia against Ukraine overnight on Oct. 5, President Volodymyr Zelensky said a day after.

This revelation highlights the continued presence of Western technology in Moscow's weapons, despite years of sanctions.

Russian troops launched around 500 drones and more than 50 missiles in a large-scale attack on Ukraine, targeting settlements across the country, including those far from the front lines in the west. The strike killed at least six people, including an entire family of four, and left 18 others injured.

According to Zelensky, the attack drones contained 100,688 foreign-made components. Around 1,500 were found in Iskander missiles, 192 in Kinzhal ballistic missiles, and 405 in Kalibr cruise missiles.

These components were reportedly manufactured by companies based in the U.S., China, Taiwan, the U.K., Germany, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, and the Netherlands.

Ukraine's partners already have detailed information on every company and every product involved, Zelensky said. He added that Kyiv is also working on new sanctions targeting individuals and entities aiding Russia.

"It is crucial to shut down every scheme that circumvents sanctions, because Russia uses each one to keep killing. The world has the power to stop this," Zelensky said.

While Western countries have banned the export of many dual-use components to Russia, Moscow has adapted to sanctions by relying on smuggling networks and other schemes to obtain restricted goods.

Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president’s commissioner for sanctions, previously said that most foreign parts found in Russian weapons used on the battlefield in Ukraine originate from China.

40,000 Russians without power in Belgorod after Ukrainian attack causes ‘significant’ damage to energy facilities
“We have significant damage. The scope of work will be significant,” Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

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Kateryna Denisova

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Kateryna Denisova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, covering Ukrainian domestic politics and social issues. She joined the newsroom in 2024 as a news editor following four years at the NV media outlet. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She was also a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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While Ukraine also lacks Western-supplied weapons, soldiers and commanders say shortages of basics — cars, drones and people — make holding back Russia extremely difficult. Even as Kyiv seeks U.S. approval for Tomahawks, they say critical, rudimentary gear is the more pressing need.

Russia faces an increase in the arson and “spontaneous combustion” of electrical panels, railway relay cabinets, and other infrastructure helping Moscow wage its war against Ukraine over the past week, a source at Ukraine’s military intelligence told the Kyiv Independent.

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