Ukrainian adviser says 95% of Russian drones and missiles contain Swiss parts

Components found in Russian weapons

Ukraine's military intelligence service HUR publishes in a public database the electronic parts it recovers from the wreckage of Russian weapons. The Geran-4, a jet-powered development of the Iranian Shahed drone, contains ten parts from STMicroelectronics and u-blox, both based in Switzerland, according to a HUR information page. Across all the weapons analysed, Ukraine has identified parts from eleven Swiss manufacturers. Swiss components have also been reported in North Korean ballistic missiles fired at Ukraine. The jet engine lets the Geran-4 regularly get past Ukrainian air defences, with potentially devastating consequences in the coming winter months.

The adviser's 95 percent claim

Vladyslav Vlasiuk, a 37-year-old lawyer who advises President Wolodimir Selenski on sanctions policy, told SRF that 95 percent of Russian drones and missiles contain parts from Swiss companies. Most of these are mass-produced industrial components, including microcontrollers that steer drones, chips that process satellite navigation data, voltage converters, sensors and memory chips. The parts are classed neither as war materiel nor as dual-use goods, but they are subject to Russia sanctions. The EU and the G7 placed these goods on a joint sanctions list, and Switzerland has adopted that list. SRF notes that the mass use of cheap drones has turned these mass-produced goods into strategically relevant items.

What Kyiv wants from Bern

Vlasiuk says Switzerland is doing too little to stop deliveries to Russia and wants prosecutors brought in and export controls strengthened. Asked about the Swiss government's efforts, he told SRF:

“The answers were not sufficient.”

He also wants Swiss firms to check their distributors and intermediaries more closely. As a model he cites the Dutch chipmaker NXP, whose parts once appeared often in Russian weapons but have almost disappeared in 2026. Vlasiuk rejects the argument that Swiss goods are not exported to Russia because they are not produced in Switzerland. SRF reports indications that the components reach Russia through China, where some Swiss firms also manufacture.

“We still find Swiss components in Russian weapons, in September and October again.”

Bern's position and company responses

The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) says it is aware of the problem and that enforcing sanctions against Russia is a priority. Seco argues that most of these goods are produced abroad, so no exports from Switzerland take place. Swiss companies must contractually prohibit re-export to Russia when they sell to third countries, and the Federal Council sees no need for stricter rules. In spring 2026, Seco told Tages Anzeiger that Russia obtains these components mostly through intermediaries in third countries that have not joined the sanctions, and that it tries to remove the markings. STMicroelectronics told SRF it runs a comprehensive global compliance programme and has taken measures to implement sanctions and export restrictions against Russia. The companies SRF approached said they abide by the sanctions.