Switzerland leads Europe as source of tech found in Russia’s weapons despite sanctions: Report

LONDON

Components made by Swiss companies continue to appear in Russian missiles, drones and tanks despite international sanctions, highlighting gaps in export controls and enforcement, according to a recent report.

More components from Swiss manufacturers are appearing on the Ukrainian battlefield than from almost any other European country, the Swiss Info news portal reported on Tuesday, citing a study by Samuel Bickett of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, investigating which foreign technologies enable Russia’s bombing campaign in Ukraine.

"Most of them are found in missiles and drones. But also in tanks, command centers, aircraft, and other weapon systems," said Bickett.

The study also found that 322 components from Swiss manufacturers have surfaced, including microprocessors, GPS modules, connectors, and cables.

According to the report, the Geneva-based Lemo Group and Huber+Suhner appear in Russian customs data, although most of the components are not produced in Switzerland but in Asia or other European countries.

In addition, u-blox GPS modules continue to appear in Russian drones. One specific module was traced to a production run in March 2025.

Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) said it prosecutes violations “consistently,” has tripled staffing levels since 2022, and implements sanctions “as a priority,” according to the report.

However, Bickett underlined that Switzerland should be inspecting every item appearing in Russian customs data and sanction all parties involved.