Ukraine has formally raised concerns with India and the European Union over the discovery of Indian-made or assembled electronic components in Iranian-designed Shahed 136 drones deployed by Russian forces in the Ukraine war. Officials familiar with the matter said Ukrainian authorities have sent at least two diplomatic communications to India’s external affairs ministry since last year, detailing the parts found and their functions.
According to Ukrainian investigations, a Vishay Intertechnology “bridge rectifier E300359” assembled in India was used in the Shahed’s voltage regulator unit, while a PLL-based AU5426A chip from Bengaluru-based Aura Semiconductor was integrated into the drone’s jammer-proof antenna for satellite navigation. Both firms insist they comply with all applicable export laws, suggesting the components may have been diverted through unauthorised third-party channels. Aura Semiconductor expressed being “deeply disturbed” by the findings, stating the parts are “plug-and-play” and difficult to trace once sold.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded that India’s exports of dual-use items adhere to its “robust domestic legal and regulatory framework” and international non-proliferation obligations, with due diligence to ensure compliance. However, security agencies have since visited electronics manufacturers in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai to raise awareness about diversion risks, particularly to sanctioned destinations.
Officials noted that such components are often legally exported to legitimate buyers in West Asia before being rerouted to Iran or Russia. Trade experts, including Global Trade Research Initiative founder Ajay Srivastava, cautioned that while India strictly prohibits exports of dual-use items to sanctioned destinations, “once goods are exported to legitimate third countries, tracing their end use becomes nearly impossible.”
The Shahed 136, a low-cost unmanned combat aerial vehicle, has been used extensively by Russia since 2022, with Ukraine’s air force reporting over 6,100 launches in July alone. Ukrainian defence intelligence has also found components from US and Chinese firms in Russian weapons, underscoring the global challenge of enforcing export compliance in an interconnected supply chain.
