Russia uses dozens of critical components from abroad to produce all its missiles, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 18, referring to a report by Foreign Intelligence Service chief Oleksandr Lytvynenko.
Despite extensive Western sanctions aimed at cutting off supply lines, Russia continues to obtain sanctioned goods, such as microchips, via third-party countries, fueling its war machine.
However, Moscow lacks some modern weapon parts like modern optics and electronics due to restrictions, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said.
According to Zelensky, there are “clear facts” that many of the parts in Russian missiles are made by “companies from the free world.” He wants allies to respond more actively to Moscow’s attempts to circumvent sanctions and prevent it from producing weapons.
Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NAZK) identified around 2,500 foreign components in Russian weaponry, mostly from U.S. producers who do not sell their products to Russia directly.
“So blocking the ways Russia circumvents sanctions is blocking terror. I am grateful to all partners who understand this and to everyone in the world who helps us in this work,” the president said.
Kyiv's allies have sought to crack down on the Kremlin's ability to circumvent their sanctions. The EU's latest sanction package included a ban for third-country entities to re-export sensitive goods to Russia.
