Russia's new missile-armed Shahed drone is full of foreign-made parts, Ukraine says

"A new kind of Russian drone armed with an air-to-air missile is being made using foreign parts, including some sourced from Western countries, Ukraine's military intelligence agency revealed on Monday. The drone - a modified Geran-2 - was recently spotted in Ukraine carrying a Soviet-era missile, a first for this war. From the Ukrainian assessment, it's the latest Russian weapon to turn up with foreign components despite the sweeping international sanctions and export controls targeting Moscow."

"Ukraine's military intelligence agency, the GUR, said that Russia has armed its Geran-2 drones with R-60 air-to-air missiles to fire at helicopters and aircraft providing air defense for Kyiv. Officials and analysts have delivered similar determinations about the purpose of the modification. "The main purpose of the new development is to create a threat to Ukrainian military and tactical aviation, reducing the effectiveness of its work in intercepting enemy UAVs," the GUR wrote in a translated statement."

Russia has modified Geran-2 (Shahed-type) drones by fitting them with R-60 Soviet-era air-to-air missiles to engage Ukrainian helicopters and aircraft providing air defense. Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) assessed that the modification aims to threaten Ukrainian military and tactical aviation and reduce effectiveness in intercepting enemy UAVs. Inspections found foreign-made parts in the drones sourced from the US, UK, Germany, Switzerland, China, Japan, and Taiwan. The presence of Western technology in Russian weaponry persists despite sweeping international sanctions and export controls. Western components are reaching Russian arms through civilian markets, middlemen, or countries that sidestep export rules, prompting calls to close these gaps.

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