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Ukrainian companies supply components for Russia’s kamikaze drones, but it is not what it seems
The US has imposed new sanctions on 32 legal entities involved in the supply network for components used to produce Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. Among them are two companies registered in Ukraine, according to the US Department of the Treasury.
Ukrainian companies under foreign control
The adversary may aim to use this information as “evidence” of corruption, internal collaboration with the enemy, or other theories. While the companies are formally registered in Ukraine, control is effectively in foreign hands.
An Iranian citizen, Bahram Tabibi, “used his Ukrainian shell companies” to “purchase and supply aerospace materials” for the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company, the producer of the Shahed drones.
Since 2022, Iran has been supplying these drones to Russia for attacks on Ukraine, until Moscow established domestic production of the drones, mostly in the Republic of Tatarstan. The Shahed model, assembled in the Alabuga factory, contains 294 imported components. Of those, around 120 come from China and Taiwan, and 100 from the US.
Russia uses three distinct turboprop Shahed drone variants — all packed with foreign parts
The supplies included position indicators, magnetometers, AC generator components, engines, and other equipment.
The companies named are LLC "GK Imperativ Ukraine" and LLC "Ecofera"
According to the Opendatabot portal, LLC "GK Imperativ Ukraine" was registered in 2018 in Kharkiv and is engaged in trade. The company’s owner is an Iranian citizen, Bahram Tabibi Jabali.
As for LLC "Ecofera," no publicly available information has been found.
