Russian missile that hit Kyiv had US-made components: Ukraine
What's the story
A Russian cruise missile that struck a government building in central Kyiv on Sunday was loaded with foreign components, including United States-made chips and electronic parts, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday. The Iskander 9M727 missile failed to detonate, likely due to damage from Ukrainian air defenses, according to Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukraine's presidential commissioner for sanctions policy. He released images of the damaged missile and a list of components found in similar missiles.
Component origins
Components from Japanese, British, Swiss companies too
The list includes 35 parts from American firms such as Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, and Altera. It also has components from Japanese, British, and Swiss companies. Some of these parts were manufactured recently after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Despite strict sanctions and export controls by Western countries on such components to Russia, Moscow has managed to circumvent these restrictions.
Corporate responses
Infineon Technologies 'extensively' trying to prevent shipments to Russia
Infineon Technologies, the German parent company of American-based Cypress Semiconductor, told CNN that it has taken "extensive measures" to ensure its products don't reach Russia. The company said it has stopped all direct and indirect shipments to Russia and has compliance measures in place for customers. Texas Instruments also confirmed that it stopped selling products to Russia and Belarus in February 2022.
International alert
Ukrainian government has informed allies about findings
Vlasiuk noted that while this missile had fewer Western components than those analyzed earlier in the war, it still had many. He said the Ukrainian government has informed its allies about these findings "for sanctions response." Most of the foreign parts found in the missile are dual-use components meant for civilian use but repurposed for military applications by Russia.
Ongoing concern
US-made parts continue to reach Russia
A report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations last year found that US-made components "continue to guide and power the Russian weapons that kill Ukrainians daily." The subcommittee noted that companies in countries like China and Kazakhstan have been able to buy these parts and subsequently sell them to Russia.