Ukraine says captured Russian drone loaded with Western components: CNN

• Ukraine says Russian drones are filled with components made by Western companies.
• Despite international sanctions, Russia appears to have bought parts from several of Ukraine’s Western allies.
• Russia has a long history of evading international scrutiny.

Ukraine says Russian drones used to kill its soldiers are loaded with weapons from its Western allies.

A Ukrainian technical intel officer showed CNN’s Nick Robertson inside the captured Russian Orlan-10 spy drone, revealing elements from around the world.

The official said the drone’s mobile tracker was made in the US. He said the engine was made in Japan and the thermal imaging module on the camera was made in France after Russia had already invaded.

Other Russian drones come from countries including Austria, Germany, Taiwan and the Netherlands, the official said.

This is despite international sanctions imposed to weaken Russia’s arsenal.

The chief said his job was to follow each serial number to find out who it was and alert associates to prevent Russian drone technologies from getting their hands on it.

According to Robertson, these trading entities have often expressed that it will not be easy to cut off supply because Russia stockpiles some parts and has a long history of evading sanctions.

The issue of Western units in Russian drones is not a new problem. In the year In early 2017, researchers found Western-made components inside Russian drones flying over eastern Ukraine, The Washington Post reported.

Some of those drones were transported to Russia by obscure medium and small business companies, the newspaper said.

“The FBI has been tracking Russian supply networks since 2014 and trying to shut them down. So they continue to try to sidestep them if they can. And that’s a real problem because often these entities are bought by legitimate companies,” RUSI research analyst Samuel Cranney Evans told CNN.

Russia has turned the tables on the drone war.

Screengrab/Ukrainian Special Operations Forces

Since Russia began invading Ukraine in February, drones have played a vital role in the war.

While Ukraine was initially able to use drones to take out Russian tanks and armor, Russia’s air defenses evolved to shoot down the drones, causing many Ukrainian drones to be shot down and jammed.

Now, Russia is successfully using drones to identify and attack Ukrainian targets, drone warfare experts told Insider.

While Ukraine’s drones are becoming increasingly effective in this new phase of the war, Russia is flying missions from drones, mostly for surveillance, reconnaissance and reconnaissance, said Samuel Bendet, a researcher and expert in unmanned and robotics. Military Systems, Naval Analysis Center.

The Ukrainian military says thermal and infrared imaging and cell phone surveillance by Russian drones — many of which come from the West — are helping Russia find and kill Ukrainian soldiers, CNN reported.

Earlier this month, the White House said Iran was preparing to export hundreds of drones to aid in its invasion of Ukraine.

National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan said the package “includes weapon-capable UAVs on an accelerated schedule.”