Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded tougher sanctions against British companies supplying components for Russian drones used to bomb Ukraine. The Ukrainian president revealed that microcomputers for flight control produced in the UK were found in drones used during Sunday's deadly assault.
Four people, including a 15-year-old, died and six more were injured in Sunday's combined drone and missile strike on Lviv. The attack marked the largest aerial assault on the historic western city since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, according to Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the local military administration.
Massive foreign component use revealed
Zelensky detailed the scale of foreign involvement in Russian weapons production through a post on social media platform X. "During the massive combined strike on Ukraine on the night of October 5, Russia used 549 weapon systems containing 102,785 foreign-made components," he said.
The components came from companies across multiple allied nations, including the United States, China, Taiwan, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands. Zelensky emphasised that Ukraine is preparing new sanctions proposals to target companies helping Russia circumvent existing restrictions.
Multiple cities targeted
Beyond Lviv, Russian forces struck other Ukrainian cities in coordinated overnight attacks. A nighttime assault on Zaporizhzhia killed a civilian woman and wounded nine others, including a 16-year-old girl.
Six people, including a child, were injured in Sloviansk, a strategic city in the eastern Donetsk region. The attacks demonstrated Russia's continued ability to source foreign components for its weapons systems despite international sanctions.
International response expected
Zelensky called for systemic action from G7 sanctions coordinators, who are scheduled to meet this week. "It is crucial to shut down every scheme that circumvents sanctions, because Russia uses each one to keep killing," he said.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman defended Britain's arms export controls as among the "most robust in the world" but pledged to investigate any concerns. "We will always stand by Ukraine and ensure we're doing whatever it takes to ensure that they are able to resist Putin's despicable and ongoing invasion of the country," the spokesman said.
The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for comment.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
