Russian missile destroying children's hospital in Kyiv had Western components – media

The Financial Times reports this, citing experts and Ukrainian officials. 

The presence of Western components in the missile indicates that Moscow has successfully evaded sanctions. The article also states that Russia is now producing almost eight times more Kh-101 missiles than before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This increased production relies on components from Western countries, particularly the United States.

“Western technology is allowing them to build these smarter missiles, which allow their terror attacks to get past our struggling air defences,” said Olena Bilousova, a research lead on sanctions at the KSE Institute in Kyiv.

Despite sanctions cutting Russia off from some advanced components, the Kremlin's defense industry has turned to microprocessors and other advanced technologies not intended for military use. This is evidenced by Ukraine's analysis of an Kh-101 missile launched by the Russian forces in January, which found 16 units of Western-made electronics inside the missile.

Two of the components were labeled as being made by STMicroelectronics, a Swiss company, while the rest were made by American chipmakers, including Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, and Intel. All these components are primarily intended for civilian purposes, and some are quite old.

The Financial Times analyzed Russian documents showing how Russian companies obtained parts similar to those used in the January Kh-101 missile in 2023. They found that these components were simply bought on the open market and imported to Russia through China.

According to Russian documents, the parts were manufactured by Western manufacturers and listed as originating from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, or Thailand.

The publication notes that analyzing just one piece of debris likely underestimates the extent of Russia's dependence on foreign production. According to an analysis by the Office of the President of Ukraine provided to the Financial Times, the Kh-101 missile can be equipped with more than 50 foreign-made parts.

• The White House has recorded an “alarming” number of Russian weapons containing electronic components from the United States and allied countries.