EU threatens ban on sale of western parts in Russian UAVs used in war-torn Ukraine

Brussels has warned Europe-based companies that it will impose a ban on the sale of certain components to Turkey and other countries where the defence entities have been supplying spare parts to Iran for the use of the drones that the Islamic Republic has been shipping to Moscow. The Russian-sourced UAVs are being used to inflict war casualties in the eastern flank of Ukraine. Brussels fired the warning after accessing the 47-page document seen by the Guardian newspaper.

In the documents, the Ukrainian government highlighted the use of Western technology in the long-range missiles that were produced in Moscow and were used in the war. Kyiv appealed to target drone manufacturing sites in Russia, Iran and Syria as it requested for the longer-range weaponry to be used during its ongoing counteroffensive.

The paper that was turned in to the G7 governments in August, outlined that Russia launched as many as 600 raids using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that were fitted with Western technology, according to the Guardian. These drone attacks were launched inside Ukraine in the previous three months, the documents said. 

Five European firms including a Polish subsidiary identified manufacturer of drone components

In the trove of data, Brussels was told by Ukraine that there were five European firms including a Polish subsidiary of a British multinational identified as the original manufacturers of drone components. “Iranian UAV production has adapted and mostly uses available commercial components, the supply of which is poorly or not controlled at all,” Ukraine said in the documents. It cited the customs information, saying that “almost all the imports to Iran originated from Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Costa Rica”. Brussels said that the information goes to show that Russia was facing the heat of the EU sanctions and that it was creating “significant pressure on their targets." Ukraine, however, sought more stringent measures to stop the sale of the drone components to these firms. 

“This means keeping a close eye on foreign operators that are re-exporting EU-sanctioned goods without the knowledge of the EU exporter. For that scenario, we have sought the support of third countries’ authorities to make sure that goods exported from the EU to those countries do not reach Russia," said a European Commission spokesperson. The latter added that the EU sanctions envoy, David O’Sullivan, has been "working closely with third-country jurisdictions to ensure that our sanctions are not circumvented.” The US Treasury earlier today sanctioned the entities involved in the selling of the UAV parts. The EU spokesperson noted that the 10th sanctions package "included for the first time seven Iranian entities that have been using EU components and providing Russia with military Shahed drones to attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. This should act as a strong deterrent to other companies and international traders that circumvention of export restrictions will not be tolerated.”