Western-made electronic components continue to appear in Russian weapons systems, underscoring persistent gaps in sanctions enforcement against Moscow’s defence industry. On January 29, media reported that transistors produced by Infineon Technologies were found in the wreckage of Russia’s latest attack drone, known as Geran-5, adding to earlier cases in which the same manufacturer’s parts were identified in other Russian strike drones and Kh-69 cruise missiles, according to reporting on the discovery of Infineon components in Russian drones Infineon transistors found in Russian attack drones.
New drones reveal persistent supply routes
At the start of 2026, Russia began deploying Geran-5 drones against Ukraine, with debris analyses revealing foreign-made parts originating from China, the United States and Germany. Investigators identified Infineon transistors on the drone’s control board, despite the company’s public assertions that it fully complies with sanctions regimes. The manufacturer has stated it has no visibility into how its components reached Russia, citing the scale and complexity of global chip production and distribution, where tens of billions of units circulate annually.
Sanctions bypassed through intermediaries
The repeated appearance of Western electronics points to well-established procurement networks that allow Russia to circumvent restrictions through third countries and intermediaries. These channels often involve resellers and brokers in jurisdictions such as China, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, which acquire sanctioned components on open markets and redirect them into Russian supply chains. The pattern suggests a systemic issue rather than isolated breaches, raising questions about the effectiveness of current export controls.
Implications for European security and enforcement
The use of European technology in Russian drones and missiles deployed against Ukraine highlights the strategic risks of incomplete sanctions enforcement. Beyond undermining policy credibility, such leakage creates longer-term security concerns for Europe, given Moscow’s explicit threats and military posture. The situation demonstrates that sanctions without rigorous tracking of logistics and technology flows fail to ensure Russia’s technological isolation. Western governments face growing pressure to treat advanced technology exports as a core element of security policy, strengthen international cooperation on monitoring supply chains, and hold intermediary firms accountable for enabling illicit transfers.
