60% of Russian weapons' foreign components are Chinese, Ukrainian presidential office says

This was reported to Reuters by Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to the Ukrainian president.

‘If you take all the usual types of weapons and count the foreign made components – about 60% would be coming from China. We have had lengthy discussions with some manufacturers about this,’ Vlasiuk said, adding that China is “the biggest problem”.

Important parts in drones and missiles also come from the U.S., the Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, and other Western countries.

Vlasiuk said Ukraine has found a number of advanced chips from U.S. companies. According to the documents Vlasiuk showed journalists, some of the products were made more than a decade ago, while others were made only last year. The list includes hundreds of samples that, according to him, were found on the battlefield. Not all the dates of origin could be determined.

According to Vlasiuk, the European Union could do more to stop the flow of Western products, including imposing sanctions on Rosatom. 

‘Rosatom...we believe it (Russia) has been using its (Rosatom's) networks to supply the Russian army,’ he said, noting that European capitals are reluctant to take any action because of Russia's dominance in nuclear supplies.

The presidential adviser also noted that the EU could focus on Russia's logistics, including airports and seaports, as well as financial institutions that facilitate sales.

• Earlier in the day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia was using Chinese satellites to take pictures of Ukraine's nuclear facilities.