Ukraine says Swiss components remain in Russian weapons

Ukrainian authorities continue to find components made by Swiss companies in Russian drones and missiles, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on sanctions policy, told SRF. He called for Switzerland to strengthen enforcement of export controls.

Experts examining debris since 2022 say 95 per cent of Russian drones and missiles contain components from Swiss companies, mainly STMicroelectronics and U-Blox, Vlasiuk said. “They are found in almost every single Russian weapon,” he added.

About 90 per cent of Russian weapons contain foreign components, primarily microelectronics, according to Vlasiuk. He said this showed that Russia’s military-industrial sector was less independent than it wanted to be, and that export controls and sanctions could make a difference.

Vlasiuk said Ukraine had urged the Swiss government to involve law enforcement agencies and the export-control authority more closely, but the responses had not been sufficient. Ukrainian officials found Swiss components in Russian weapons again in September and October, he said.

The Swiss Federal Council says it is doing everything it can to ensure companies monitor their supply chains, and has noted that production and deliveries do not come from Switzerland. Vlasiuk said he respected the Swiss government’s support for Ukraine, but argued that such a response might have been adequate in 2023, not 2026. Sanctions have developed, as has Russia’s ability to evade them, he said.

The companies named by Vlasiuk say they comply with sanctions and have had no business with Russia since 2022. He cited Dutch electronics company NXP as an example of what stronger action could achieve: while its components had previously been found in Russian weapons, he said almost none were found in 2026. “If you work hard, you can really make a difference,” he said.

Vlasiuk called China a problem, while noting that its export authority had reportedly announced changes to its rules. He said he was not yet convinced the changes would work. Ukraine also works with the US government to prevent Russia from obtaining American microchips, he said, but the share of US chips in ballistic missiles remained very high.

Vlasiuk said stopping the flow of microelectronics to Russia was important to protect civilians from attacks. Modern Russian drones could theoretically reach Switzerland, he said, adding that he hoped that would never happen.