Russian forces launch cruise missiles and drones almost immediately after they are manufactured, and sanctions do not prevent foreign components from entering these weapons.
This was stated in a TV broadcast by Yuriy Ignat, Head of the Communications Department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command.
Commenting on analysts’ claims that some cruise missiles may be manufactured weeks before an attack, Ignat said the Air Force cannot confirm such information, as this is handled by specialized government experts.
“Personally, I cannot confirm this. We have specialized experts—not in the Air Force, but in the government—who verify not only when these missiles were manufactured but also identify the components present in each missile,” he said.
Ignat noted that Russia uses missiles and drones immediately after production.
“Clearly, they take both missiles and Shahed drones straight from the assembly line and launch them at our territory right away. We discussed this at the end of last year,” he said.
He also recalled that the Air Force previously published clarifications regarding the missile that struck a residential building in Ternopil. Analysis of the fragments showed it was manufactured in the third quarter of 2025 and used almost immediately.
“Fragments from one of the missiles confirmed it was produced in the third quarter of 2025—literally a month or month and a half later—and immediately struck and destroyed an entire apartment building,” Ignat emphasized.
He also highlighted that, despite sanctions, foreign components continue to find their way into Russian missiles.
“This includes components from the United States and European countries. It’s not that they intentionally supply them; the issue is that sanctions against the aggressor state do not work effectively, and through third-country mechanisms, via smuggling, components still end up in these missiles,” Ignat explained.
