US-made electronics found in Russian missiles: Ukrainian intelligence

Ukrainian military intelligence has identified US-origin electronics inside a Russian 3M22 Zircon missile and released a breakdown of its production chain, raising concerns about Moscow’s access to Western technology despite sanctions.

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR) published an interactive 3D model and component-level assessment of the Zircon on its War & Sanctions portal. According to the assessment, the missile’s production involves 70 companies and 84 individuals, covering its guidance, propulsion, warhead, onboard computer and other systems.

According to the US-based defence publication The War Zone (TWZ), the Ukrainian intelligence assessment “identifies US-origin electronics inside” the Zircon. The components include a high-power radio-frequency amplifier linked to TriQuint Semiconductor - now part of Qorvo - and a programmable semiconductor from Altera, now owned by Intel.

GUR lists both as originating in the US.

However, identification of the components does not establish that the companies knowingly supplied them to the Russian defence industry. TWZ noted that the Ukrainian assessment does not explain how the components reached Russian production lines, while GUR said it was continuing to investigate their origins and supply chains.

The discovery raises questions over sanctions and export controls, as Russia continues to obtain foreign semiconductors and electronic components for advanced weapons. TWZ noted how Russia’s sophisticated weapons production remains “connected to international semiconductor supply chains.”

The Ukrainian assessment has also questioned the nature of the missile, as Russia described the Zircon as a hypersonic cruise missile, with officials claiming its speed up to Mach 9. Ukrainian officials, however, assess that its maximum sustained or “fixed” speed is around Mach 6.8, while its maximum speed can reach Mach 8–9.

The analysis of recovered wreckage points towards a two-stage solid-propellant rocket configuration. Some analysts argue that available evidence points towards the Zircon being a maneuverable quasi-ballistic missile rather than a true hypersonic cruise missile. 

The Zircon was originally designed for launch from Russian naval vessels and submarines, but Russia has reportedly adapted it for ground launch against Ukraine, with modified Bastion coastal-defence systems considered a likely platform.