Indian components found in Russian drones launched at Ukraine

Indian-made components have been discovered in Russian drones used for deadly attacks on Ukraine, one of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s top officials has claimed.

The Iranian-made Shahed drones containing Indian parts have been involved in attacks along the frontlines and against civilians, Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram.

He called on the world to “deprive Russians of the ability to receive components from other countries and stop the killing of Ukrainians,” according to Kyiv-based Ukrainian news agency UNN.

“Also, buying Russian energy resources is financing the war, which does not contribute to peace,” Yermak added.

The White House and National Security Council didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Post.

The drone development comes as President Trump has threatened to slap new tariffs on India if it does not stop purchasing Russian oil.

“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday.

Trump added on Friday that he was also seeking to impose new sanctions on Russia and any country that purchases its energy exports like crude oil and electricity.

India, as the third-biggest oil importer and consumer in the world, has a high demand and draws one-third of its supply from Russia.

A source from the Indian government noted that its purchases have helped balance global oil prices by easing the pressure on supplies from other regions.

The relatively inexpensive Shahed drones that included the Indian-made components have become a crucial part of Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine since late 2022.

Iran initially supplied 2,000 fully assembled drones to Russia, which soon established its own assembly system using Iranian ready-made components, according to Ukraine’s Security Service.

That number was quickly escalated, with more than 6,000 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia last month alone, according to figures from the Ukrainian air force.

With Post wires