Zelenskyy urges tougher sanctions to block Russia’s access to foreign weapon components

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday called on the Group of Seven (G7) nations to take stronger, coordinated action to close loopholes in sanctions that allow Russia to continue sourcing foreign-made components for its weapons.

"In the fourth year of the full-scale war, Russia continues to obtain components for producing weapons," Zelenskyy said in a statement Telegram, referring to the large-scale attack on Ukraine on the night of Oct. 5.

He revealed that Russia used 549 weapon systems in the latest assault, containing more than 102,000 foreign-made components — including parts from companies in the US, China, Taiwan, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, and the Netherlands.

According to Zelenskyy, nearly 100,000 of those parts were found in attack drones, with additional components identified in Iskander, Kinzhal, and Kalibr missiles.

He added that converters, sensors, and microelectronics from Western and Asian manufacturers are regularly used in Russian munitions.

"Partners already possess the detailed data on each company and each product — they know what to target and how to respond," Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine had proposed new sanctions to curb supply chains assisting Moscow.

He expressed hope that G7 sanctions coordinators, set to meet this week, would adopt a "systemic decision" to enhance the effectiveness of sanctions.

Earlier in the day, Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, announced on his Telegram account that Russia had launched 762 strikes on 17 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region within the past 24 hours, killing one person and wounding 11.

Russia's Defense Ministry also claimed in an official statement that its air defense units had intercepted and destroyed 251 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles overnight, including 62 over the Black Sea and five over the Azov Sea.

Due to the ongoing war, independent verification of battlefield claims remains difficult.