On July 8, Russian terrorists hit the "Okhmatdyt" children's hospital with a Kh-101 missile, which included Western components. It is this type of missile that Russia began to mass-produce since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, despite EU and US sanctions.
Points of attention
- The Russian missile attack on the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital was the result of the use by the Russian army of the Kh-101 missile, produced despite the sanctions, with Western components.
- The analysis confirms that the Kh-101 missile contains electronics from American manufacturers used for civilian purposes.
- The Russian Federation obtained components from Western manufacturers through purchases on the open market and imports through China.
- The Russian attack on Okhmatdyt caused worldwide outrage.
The Russian Kh-101 missile that hit Okhmatdyt contained Western components
The presence of components from the West in the Russian missile indicates Russia's success in circumventing sanctions, writes the Financial Times regarding experts and Ukrainian officials.
The article states that Russia produces almost 8 times more Kh-101s than before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Such production depends on the components of Western countries, particularly the United States of America.
Western technology allows them to build these smarter missiles that allow their terrorist attacks to bypass our weak air defenses, said Olena Bilousova, a senior sanctions researcher at the KSE Institute in Kyiv.
The Kremlin's defense processor turned to microprocessors and other advanced technologies not intended for military use despite sanctions against the Russian Federation cutting it off from some advanced components. This transition is emphasised by Ukraine's analysis of the enemy X-101 launched by the occupiers in January: 16 units of Western-made electronics were discovered inside the missile.
Two of the components were labeled as manufactured by Switzerland-headquartered STMicroelectronics, while the rest were made by US chipmakers including Texas Instruments, Analog Devices and Intel.
It is noted that all the goods are intended mainly for civilian purposes, and some of them are pretty old.
The FT has conducted an analysis of Russian documents that shows how Russian companies in 2023 managed to obtain parts similar to the components used in January's Kh-101 missile. As a result, it turned out that they were simply bought on the open market and imported to the Russian Federation through China.
At the same time, according to Russian documents, the parts were made by Western manufacturers, which are listed as China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan or Thailand.
The publication notes: the analysis of one fragment most likely underestimates the degree of dependence of the Russian Federation on foreign production. According to an analysis by the Office of the President of Ukraine provided to the FT, the Kh-101 missile can be equipped with more than 50 foreign-made parts.
Russian July 8 strike the "Okhmatdyt" children's hospital: what is known
On July 8, the Russian army attacked Kyiv with missiles. As a result of the shelling, there are casualties, and the number of injured continues to grow. July 9 has been declared the Day of Mourning in the capital.
Russia struck a children's hospital with an Kh-101 strategic cruise missile. It is noted that at the scene of the tragedy, fragments of the rear part of the missile with a serial number, as well as part of its rudder, were found.
As of July 9, emergency and rescue work on the territory of Okhmatdyt in Kyiv has been completed. As a result of the Russian attack on this location, two people were killed, and some were injured.
The Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal announced that UNICEF will provide financial assistance to families affected by the attack on Okhmatdyt. He also said that the state will completely rebuild the hospital.
