Russia is actively using strike and reconnaissance drones "Molniya" and "Phoenix," equipped with foreign components, against Ukraine, according to military intelligence.

Russian strike and reconnaissance drones "Molniya" and "Phoenix" are actively utilized in the war against Ukraine; however, their effectiveness relies on imported components, primarily from China, the USA, Switzerland, and other countries.

This is reported by the GUR project "War & Sanctions."

The intelligence analysts characterized each Russian drone, identifying foreign components within them.

For instance, the UAV "Molniya" is a strike drone with an operational range of up to 40 km and a payload capacity of up to 5 kg. It is launched from a special catapult and guided by an operator, making it similar to FPV drones.

In addition to military targets, "Molniya" drones are regularly used to attack civilian objects.

The GUR reported that in November, this drone targeted a residential building and a shopping center in Kharkiv, resulting in injuries to civilians. This indicates the intentional use of drones to terrorize the civilian population.

Experts found that the design of the "Molniya" is quite simple, and most components are of Chinese origin, including: SpeedyBee flight controllers, FATJAY electric motors, and Caddx cameras.

Components from Chinese companies such as Huayi Microelectronics and Trex Technologies were also identified in them.

At the same time, key systems in the drone utilize Swiss microcontrollers from STMicroelectronics, American converters from Vishay, and Japanese capacitors from Rubycon.

The UAV "Phoenix" is a reconnaissance drone that Russian developers position as the "next generation" of drones like the "Orlan-10."

According to the GUR, its "filling" includes components from the USA, Switzerland, China, the Netherlands, and Taiwan.

In particular, seven key systems contain parts from the Swiss company STMicroelectronics.

Thus, Russia still relies on imported components despite sanctions that restrict the supply of high-tech goods, as stated in the material.

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that cyber specialists from GUR conducted a successful large-scale attack on the systems of the Russian Gazprombank. Terminals were non-operational across Russia.