Russian helicopters, aircraft contain foreign components, Ukraine says

Russia still uses foreign components to produce not only missiles and drones, but also new helicopters and aircraft, Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, said on Thursday.

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"Unfortunately, these spare parts continue to somehow reach the occupying country," Mr Ihnat told on national television.

"It's not just about Shaheds [Iranian kamikaze drones]. We are also talking about other military products that Russia continues to produce. Because Russia is still producing a lot of missiles, as well as Ka-52 helicopters and aircraft."

The Air Force spokesman stressed that Russia does not have the technology and production of components to build aircraft, but they are coming off the assembly line.

The Yermak-McFaul expert group on Russian sanctions, led by the head of the Ukrainian presidential office and the US former ambassador to Moscow, earlier said most of the legal entities and individuals involved in the production of Russian Lancet kamikaze drones are not subject to sanctions.

More specifically, the Lancet attack drones, which Russia is actively using in the war against Ukraine, contain about 20 foreign microchips.