According to Ukrainian authorities, the cruise missiles used by the aggressor state, russia, during a large-scale strike on Ukraine on May 14 were manufactured in 2026 using more than 100 Western components.
This is stated in an article published by the British newspaper Financial Times.
"Photos of the debris from the missile that struck a residential building in Kyiv, killing at least 24 people, most likely show parts of the Kh-101—one of the most advanced Russian cruise missiles used in airstrikes on Ukraine," the publication reports.
These images of the russian missile debris were examined by Ukrainian officials, an independent expert, and the FT itself.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the President’s Representative on Sanctions Policy, told the publication that all Kh-101 cruise missiles used by the occupiers to strike Kyiv on May 14—and assessed by Ukrainian experts (including the one that struck a residential building in the capital)—were manufactured in the second quarter of 2026.
“Each missile contained over 100 Western-made components,” Vlasiuk previously wrote on his Twitter page.
Fabian Hoffmann, a missile technology expert at the University of Oslo, examined the photographs at the FT’s request and stated that the debris does indeed resemble an Kh-101 missile.
“Based on what I believe to be debris from a turbofan engine and airframe. Given the nature of the damage, it was either a ballistic missile or a cruise missile,” he said.
According to a document provided to the FT by the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Kh-101 missile, identical to the one that struck a residential building in Kyiv on May 14, and which was examined following the russian attack on January 20, contained microchips from American brands—Texas Instruments, AMD, and Kyocera AVX—as well as the German Harting Technology Group, the Dutch Nexperia, and others.
"Some parts had serial numbers indicating that they were manufactured in 2024 and 2025—long after sanctions were imposed. Several components manufactured in China and Taiwan were also found in the debris discovered in January," the publication concluded.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on the night and morning of May 14, russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv using cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and kamikaze drones. In the Darnytskyi District, a building’s entrance collapsed after being hit by a Kh-101 missile.
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