Ukraine has officially informed the Indian government and the European Union (EU) that electronic parts made or assembled in India were found in drones used by Russia during its conflict with Ukraine. The matter was raised through diplomatic channels at least twice with India’s external affairs ministry, according to people aware of the development and documents reviewed by Hindustan Times.

Ukrainian diplomats also discussed the issue with EU sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan during his visit to New Delhi in mid-July. His visit aimed to update Indian officials on the EU’s latest sanctions list, which includes an import ban on refined products made from Russian crude oil processed at the Vadinar refinery, a site partly owned by Russian energy giant Rosneft.

Indian-made chips found in Iranian drones used by Russia

Documents shared with Indian authorities show that Ukrainian investigations found components from Vishay Intertechnology and Aura Semiconductor in Shahed-136 drones, originally designed in Iran but now used by Russian forces.

According to the documents, a “bridge rectifier E300359” assembled by Vishay Intertechnology in India was used in the drone's voltage regulator, while an AU5426A chip made by Aura Semiconductor was part of a navigation system designed to resist jamming.

These components were discovered in drones used in attacks on Ukrainian territory since 2023.

No violation of Indian laws: Officials

Sources familiar with the matter noted that, from a technical perspective, the Indian firms involved have not broken any laws.

Responding to media queries, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said:

“India’s exports of dual-use items are in keeping with its international obligations on non-proliferation, and based on its robust domestic legal and regulatory framework. Due diligence is conducted to ensure that such exports do not violate any of our laws.”

While there has been no official comment from the Ukrainian embassy in New Delhi, Ukraine’s defence intelligence agency (HUR) has shared details about Indian-made parts in Russian drones on its Facebook and Telegram platforms.

Aura Semiconductor, a Bengaluru-based company, released a statement expressing concern about the report.

“We are deeply disturbed by the possibility that any of our components may have reached defence manufacturers through unauthorised third-party channels, in violation of our stated compliance framework and distribution agreements,” the company said.

Co-founder Kishore Ganti added that the component in question is a “plug-and-play” item that doesn’t require any support from Aura for its use, making it hard to trace the final users. Aura launched a small audit after hearing of the drone link, but Ganti said the findings were “inconclusive with respect to supply chain/end-user visibility.”

Meanwhile, Vishay Intertechnology, a US-based electronics manufacturer, has not responded to media requests for comment.

Sources said that after Ukraine raised the concern, Indian security agencies visited several electronics firms in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru to spread awareness about export rules, especially regarding items that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, known as dual-use items.

There have been cases where Indian-made components were legally shipped to buyers in West Asia and then diverted to Russia or Iran without the original manufacturer’s knowledge.

Russia using Iranian drones in large numbers

The Shahed drones, which are relatively low-cost, have been widely used by Russia since late 2022. Ukraine’s air force said over 6,100 Shahed-type drones were launched in July alone. Initially, Iran supplied complete drones to Russia, but later Moscow started assembling them using Iranian parts.

Ukraine has also found parts made by US and Chinese companies in other Russian drones and weapons, according to its defence agencies.

Trade expert Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), said it is tough for exporting countries to track how dual-use goods are used once they’re sent abroad.

“India strictly prohibits the export of dual-use items to sanctioned destinations. However, once such goods are exported to legitimate third countries, tracing their end use becomes nearly impossible – a challenge every open economy faces,” he said.

Srivastava emphasized the need to improve awareness among exporters in sensitive sectors.

“Exporters must be better informed about high-risk geographies and flagged entities. But no system, however rigorous, can guarantee full control once goods leave Indian borders,” he added. “Export compliance must be enforced, but blame must not be misdirected.”


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