High-tech from Styria in Russian Drones: How Sanctions are Being Circumvented
The characteristic rattling sound, reminiscent of an old moped, has become a harbinger of death for millions of Ukrainians. But there is much more than simple technology inside Russia's “Geran-2” kamikaze drones: international research has now revealed that, despite the strictest EU sanctions, components from at least 19 European companies – including Styrian sensor specialist Ams-Osram – have found their way into the Kremlin's arsenal.
The Geran-2 drone has become Moscow's main weapon, but its dependence on Western high technology remains striking. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / National Police of Ukraine / CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)
The Geran-2 drone became Moscow's primary weapon in 2025 and early 2026. With a length of 3.5 meters and a warhead weighing up to 90 kilograms, it is used en masse to attack Ukrainian infrastructure and the civilian population. In 2025 alone, there were only eight days when Ukrainian airspace was free of these unmanned aerial vehicles.
Although Russia has massively ramped up production in its own country, its dependence on Western high technology remains striking. An international research team – consisting of Der Standard, The Times, The Kyiv Independent, and other partners – analyzed wreckage from crashed drones, as reported by Der Standard. The results are sobering: microchips, transistors, and sensors from Europe are regularly found in the debris.
Trail leads to Premstätten
Particular focus is on the Styrian technology company Ams-Osram, based in Premstätten near Graz. Ukrainian investigators were able to identify at least three components from the manufacturer in Geran-2 drones and provide photographic evidence. These are specialized sensors for determining position and speed.
In a statement to ORF and Der Standard, the company said it was “distressed” and emphasized that it strictly adheres to all sanctions. However, the delivery routes appear to lead through third countries. On the one hand, the Hong Kong route, according to Ams-Osram, the parts in question were originally delivered to customers in Hong Kong in 2019 and 2024, and for civilian use. Since these are so-called “dual-use” goods primarily intended for the civilian market, many of these sensors are not subject to direct licensing requirements as long as the destination is not Russia.
The network of shadow deliveries
Ams-Osram is in the company of well-known German industrial giants whose components were also identified in the wreckage. For example, spark plugs from Robert Bosch GmbH were found to be manufactured and sold in China in the summer of 2024. TDK Electronics supplied so-called Epcos brand power induction coils; however, the company emphasizes that it stopped all deliveries to Russia in 2022 and suspects that the goods were diverted via intermediaries or that civilian devices such as washing machines were cannibalized. Rheinmetall subsidiary Pierburg is also affected: a fuel pump produced there was seized in a drone, although the manufacturer states that it did not export any of these products directly to Russia. Semiconductor manufacturer Infineon was also unable to explain the discovery of its chips, some of which were only produced in 2023 and 2024, and referred to strict testing processes for new customers.
Despite 19 EU sanction packages to date, hundreds of shipments containing Western components reach Russia every month. Data from the Import Genius trade database shows that between January 2024 and March 2025 alone, over 500 shipments containing German, Austrian, and Swiss products arrived in Russia – often via transit hubs such as Turkey or China.
Gaps in the system
The Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs acknowledges that exports to Russia are strictly prohibited, but that checking end-use declarations in third countries is an enormous challenge. Experts also suspect that Russia is importing civilian goods such as cars and household appliances in order to systematically cannibalize them to obtain the coveted semiconductors.
While diplomats in Brussels are tightening sanctions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been warning since fall 2025 that as long as supply chains via third countries are not completely monitored, Western precision technology will continue to contribute to reducing Ukrainian cities to rubble.