Investigation: How Russian drones exploit European technologies to strike Ukraine, and beyond
AI Analysis
The investigation reveals that Russian drones, specifically the Geran-2, incorporate European and other Western components despite sanctions. These components, including an Austrian sensor, are used in drones that target Ukraine's infrastructure.
Key Takeaways
- Russian Geran-2 drones use components from European, American, Japanese, and Taiwanese manufacturers.
- Some components were produced post-2022 invasion, indicating ongoing supply chain breaches.
- The investigation involved multiple newsrooms and analyzed Russian customs records.
- Western components enter Russian drones through third countries, circumventing sanctions.
- The Geran-2 is a Russian adaptation of the Iranian Shahed-136, used extensively in Ukraine.
Why It Matters
The strategic use of Western components in Russian drones highlights vulnerabilities in international sanctions and export controls. This has significant implications for European security and the effectiveness of sanctions in limiting Russian military capabilities.
Investigation: How Russian drones exploit European technologies to strike Ukraine, and beyond [![KI short logo]]
Investigation: How Russian drones exploit European technologies to strike Ukraine, and beyond
A joint investigation by the Kyiv Independent and partners traced European components in Russian mass-produced strike drones used in attacks that have destroyed much of Ukraine's power grid. The drones have also violated EU airspace by [Alisa Yurchenko] February 18, 2026 7:00 AM13 min read ![] Russia has ramped up attacks on Ukrainian civilians with its Shahed (Geran-2) attack drones — still full of European-made components. (Nataliia Shulga/The Kyiv Independent) [Investigations] by [Alisa Yurchenko] Editor's note: This story is part of a cross-border investigative project that involved eight newsrooms, initiated by De Tijd (Belgium) and coordinated by the Kyiv Independent and OCCRP. Other stories published within the project are linked at the bottom of this investigation. A tiny Austrian sensor designed for precise motion control made an impressive journey across the globe. Some time after being sold to a company in Hong Kong, it turned up in Ukraine inside a long-range military drone launched from Russia. Its path offers a case study in how European goods can still be incorporated into Russian weapons systems. The drone was a [Russian version of the Iranian Shahed-136], known as the Geran-2. After the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, [Russia] acquired Iranian Shahed technology and [invested in mass production] of the Geran-2. [Become a member – go ad‑free] This explosive drone has since become the most widely used long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for striking targets deep inside [Ukraine]. The Kyiv Independent has obtained Ukrainian military intelligence files documenting the remnants of several [Russian-produced Shaheds] found in Ukraine. According to the documents, apart from Russian and Chinese parts, Geran-2 drones include numerous components from American, European, [Japanese, and Taiwanese manufacturers]. Notably, some of these components were produced in 2024 and 2025 — after the start of the full-scale invasion and the implementation of [sanctions]. In collaboration with De Tijd, OCCRP, Paper Trail Media, Der Standard, The Times, The Irish Times, and InfoLibre, the Kyiv Independent has analyzed Russian customs records detailing shipments in Russia, reached out to the Western manufacturers and spoke to the EU and Ukrainian authorities, intelligence officials, military experts and sanctions specialists. [Become a member – go ad‑free] This investigation reveals how that [Austrian] sensor ended up in a Russian attack drone — and how many other Western components, including restricted ones, keep [entering Russian drones through third countries]