Zelenskyy's adviser names main source of foreign parts for Russian weapons
China supplies 60% of weapons components to Russia (Getty Images)
Approximately 60% of foreign components found in Russian weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine come from China, making it the most problematic country in this context, according to Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president's commissioner for sanctions policy.
"If you take all the usual types of weapons and count the foreign made components – about 60% would be coming from China. We have had lengthy discussions with some manufacturers about this. The PRC (China) is the biggest problem I would say," he said.
According to him, important parts used in surveillance systems, drones, and missiles are also supplied from the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, and other Western countries.
Vlasuk claimed that the European Union could do more to stop the flow of Western products, including taking action against the Russian atomic company Rosatom.
"Rosatom...we believe it (Russia) has been using its networks to supply the Russian army," he said. European capitals are reluctant to take any action due to Russia's dominance in supplying nuclear power plants.
The bloc could also target Russian logistics, such as airports and seaports, as well as financial institutions that facilitate sales, he added. Vlasuk also pointed to the US sanctions package on IT, which he said has proven to be very effective since it came into effect earlier this month.
China’s assistance to Moscow
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and despite extensive Western sanctions, Moscow has managed to replenish its military machine with Western chips and semiconductors.
Despite the strong trade ties between Russia and China, Beijing has repeatedly denied supplying weapons to either side and has claimed that it is not involved in the Ukrainian crisis.
At a summit in Washington this summer, NATO accused Beijing of becoming a "decisive enabler of Russia's war against Ukraine" and demanded that China stop supplying "weapon components" and other technologies vital to the Russian army.
