Advisor – Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk and Advisor to the President of Ukraine on the Development of Defense Technologies Serhii Beskrestnov (Flash) held a briefing during which they showed representatives of Ukrainian and foreign media components of Russian missiles and drones used to attack Ukrainian cities and communities. These included electronics and parts from Geran-4 and Geran-5 UAVs, as well as Iskander-M, Kalibr, Kh-101, Banderol, Filin, and Dan-T missiles.
According to Serhii Beskrestnov, the Russians are striking Ukraine with drones that have just come off the production line. Every month, Russia produces up to 3,000 jet-powered drones and is working to increase that number. There are already five modifications of the Geran UAV, and Russia is also scaling up production of Banderol, Filin, and Dan-T missiles.
“This is a challenge for us in the future. We need to work in the jet-powered interceptor segment, but we also need our own affordable, low-cost surface-to-air missile. Why low-cost? A regular ‘shahed’ costs $130,000, and when we shoot them down with missiles that cost $300,000–500,000, it is irrational. We need to find a weapon with a comparable price. I know that our manufacturers are now working on this,” he said.
The Advisor to the President on the Development of Defense Technologies also highlighted the importance of Starlink operations, as interceptor drones and Ukrainian aircraft that shoot down Russian weapons rely on it.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk noted that almost all the electronics in the Russian drones and missiles presented are foreign-made. The largest share comes from China. In particular, Chinese antennas, engines, and cameras are widely found in Russian UAVs. Components from European countries and the United States are also identified. The Advisor – Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Sanctions Policy noted that analysis of the remnants of Russian Kh-101 missiles made it possible to document how Russia had attempted to replace certain American components but failed.
“Russia’s defense industry is entirely dependent on foreign components, and without them, they would produce nothing except the Oreshnik. That is why the priority of our sanctions work is to make all these components unavailable or difficult to obtain for Russia’s military-industrial complex, Iran, and North Korea. And there have been some successes in this area,” Vladyslav Vlasiuk said.
In particular, China changed its export control rules several days ago, introducing licensing requirements for the export of many types of electronics and components needed for drone production, including jet engines. The new rules will take effect on November 18. At the same time, some direct supplies from China to Russia are still continuing. It is important that everyone monitor compliance to ensure that Russia does not import components from China in violation of these rules for use in manufacturing its drones.
The Advisor – Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Sanctions Policy noted that Ukraine continues to provide its partners with the most detailed possible information about serial numbers, manufacturers, and components identified in Russian weapons.
“Only increased sanctions pressure will force the Russian Federation into constructive negotiations on a just and lasting peace. Accordingly, we constantly put forward very specific proposals to all our partners. Nearly five years of war have taught us that all technological systems are constantly evolving, and the Russians are investing all their resources in this. That is why we must be prepared for this and respond with sanctions measures,” Vladyslav Vlasiuk emphasized.
According to him, reducing the scale of Russian weapons production requires full synchronization of sanctions against Russian manufacturers, particularly those producing ballistic missiles, across the jurisdictions of many countries. Law enforcement agencies in the relevant countries must also investigate and stop supplies of electronics to the Russian Federation.