Russia's missiles and drones run on Western tech. Here's how it keeps getting the parts.

[riversedge]

Russia's missiles and drones run on Western tech. Here's how it keeps getting the parts.
By Jake Epstein

Ukraine continues to find foreign parts in Russian weapons. Scott Peterson/Getty Images
Oct 17, 2025, 9:40 AM CT


Ukraine is still finding foreign-made parts in Russian missiles and drones years deep into the war.
The discoveries highlight how Russia bypasses sweeping Western restrictions.
Western officials said there are growing efforts to clamp down on the trend.
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But Russia has found workarounds, such as using networks of front companies and shadowy intermediaries to move banned goods through the global market. Neither Russia's defense ministry nor its embassy in the US immediately responded to requests for comment.

Countries like Russia "have built strong circumvention networks that are able to hide where these goods are going, and they're able to continue to purchase them on the market," explained Kurcab, a lawyer who advises clients on issues related to the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Iran, which has endured decades of sanctions, is particularly skilled at evading them, Kurcab said. Throughout the war, Moscow has worked closely with Iran, as well as North Korea, another heavily sanctioned pariah state with ample practice acquiring components it isn't permitted to possess................................