IISS
David Hayes
25 September 2025
Debris from weapons used by Russia in Ukraine shows a continued reliance on foreign commercial parts despite international sanctions. This report explores how these technologies bypass export controls and considers the implications for efforts to curtail the spread of weapons components.
The analysis of battlefield debris from missiles and uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs) can reveal the origins of their components, providing insights into the strengths and weaknesses of international efforts to prevent unauthorised recipients from accessing lethal technologies. This IISS research report is based partly on field investigations conducted by Conflict Armament Research. It examines the technological make-up of Russian, Iranian and North Korean missile and UAV debris in Ukraine since 2022, traces the international procurement routes of foreign components, and discusses the failures of multilateral efforts to prevent such procurement. The report concludes by proposing a new framework for strengthening end-use controls to address the weaknesses of the current technology-control regime…
