Putin 'bypassing sanctions to kit out drones' as units 'made with European parts'

Russian forces are using banned European and American components to make ‘Kamikaze drones’ fitted with AI technology more deadly in their war on Ukraine, it has been claimed. Iranian Shahed-136 Geran 2 drones are fitted with original Tehran explosives and engines but Russian mini-computers are used in them for accuracy in targeting.

The new variant of drones have anti-jamming devices making them tough to disable by ground troops and AI technology to help with targeting of soldiers and civilians. And Ukrainian weapons experts have discovered banned-US, German, Swiss and even Taiwanese components added to the drones. Despite years of sanctions against importing weapons components or dual purpose items it means Russia is still able to smuggle items in for their war.

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It is believed sanctions-busting middle-dealers are using ‘third parties’ to bypass sanctions through eastern European businesses with access to Russia. One hybrid drone was downed on June 17 in the Ukrainian region of Sumy where Ukrainian experts were able to take it apart.

They discovered the addition of the Russian “Nvidia Jetson Orin” minicomputer, which helps the AI enhance the drone and video processing. It is believed these additions to the First Person View - FPV - drone make it easier for the pilot driving it to direct the weapon to its target.

One Ukrainian source said: “We’ve been aware for some time that components from some European countries are being used by the Russians. These are strictly banned by sanctions against Moscow and yet they are still getting through the system illegally.

“And they are being used for deadly purposes and increasingly are becoming more sophisticated.” In the past The Daily Mirror has revealed how sanctions have had an effect on Russia’s ability to fight the war.

At one stage it was unable to provide tanks with the correct optical devices meaning it reduced commanders’ ability to aim their guns as well. This reduced effective targeting from seven miles to four miles.

Ukrainian forces have halted Russia's advance into northern Sumy region and have stabilised the front line near the border with Russia, Ukraine's top military commander said. Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces, said Ukrainian successes in Sumy have prevented Russia from deploying about 50,000 Russian troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades, to other areas of the front line.

Russian forces have been slowly grinding forward at some points on the 620-mile front line but their losses have been catastrophic, daily losing hundreds of troops. Recruitment has become increasingly difficult for Russian commanders because of the ferocity of fighting in Ukraine.

More than 20,000 Russian soldiers have been prosecuted for refusing to fight in Ukraine, a Russian independent media outlet Mediazona reported on June 26. As of late May Mediazona documented 20,538 such cases since September 2022 - when the Kremlin announced a first wave of partial mobilisation, compared to 10,025 cases reported as of June 2024.

Of these, 18,159 were cases of soldiers going AWOL, 1,369 cases of failure to comply with an order, and 1,010 cases of desertion. According to Mediazona, 17,721 of the accused have already been sentenced.

Ukraine's air force said that Russia deployed 41 Shahed and decoy drones across the country overnight, wounding five people. It said that 24 drones were either intercepted or jammed.