A recent analysis of russia’s S-70 Okhotnik unmanned aerial vehicle, shot down on October 5, 2024, near Kostyantynivka in Donetsk region, has exposed a troubling fact: despite stringent international sanctions, russia continues to source key components from Western technology firms. This finding, shared on the War&Sanctions portal, highlights a significant loophole in the international sanctions regime.
The breakdown of the S-70 UAV revealed that the aircraft contains advanced microelectronics and other crucial components produced by several prominent Western technology companies, including Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, and Xilinx-AMD from the United States, Infineon Technologies from Germany, and STMicroelectronics from Switzerland.
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The S-70 Okhotnik drone, costing approximately $15 million per unit, plays a substantial role in russia’s military strategy. With only four prototypes built, the UAV not only represents a considerable financial investment but also serves as a platform for carrying the UMPB D-30 aerial bombs. These bombs have been deployed against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, contributing to the ongoing destruction in Ukraine.
The presence of Western technology in the S-70 drone underlines the importance of enforcing and tightening export controls to prevent advanced technologies from empowering hostile military forces. This discovery serves as a reminder of the global responsibility to ensure that sanctions effectively restrict access to technology that could fuel conflicts and endanger civilians.
Read more: Capabilities of the S-70 Okhotnik Stealth Combat Drones: Will russia Achieve Mass Production?
