In an interview with Bloomberg, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, stressed the need to cut off Russia’s access to components the aggressor uses to manufacture missiles and drones, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate.
It mainly concerns dual-use goods—semiconductors and microelectronics—that Russia continues to purchase on a large scale despite sanctions. These components are used in the production of missiles used in Ukraine.
“If you open any of these missiles or drones, you’ll see they are full of Western components,” Budanov emphasized.
Missiles and drones produced with these key parts, according to Budanov, are immediately used by the Russians for strikes against Ukraine.
“Companies may claim they aren’t selling to Russia, only to intermediaries, but this doesn’t change the fact that these parts are reaching Russia in massive quantities… Everyone is turning a blind eye to what’s happening,” Budanov noted.
Previously, reports said Russia received nearly $4 billion in restricted chips since 2022. Many of them were delivered from Hong Kong, where an extensive network of shadow companies operates, exporting the sanctioned equipment.
Russia uses this equipment to produce weapons, including drones and cruise missiles. To obtain technologies, Russia turns to international distributors in China, Türkiye, India, Serbia, and Singapore, which receive production directly from equipment manufacturers.
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