Switzerland has tightened controls on the export of dual-use goods to countries neighboring Russia. The Swiss Federal Intelligence Service highlights the methods Russia uses to procure Swiss-sanctioned dual-use goods through third countries, including Turkey, Serbia, India, the UAE, China, and Central Asian states.
Russia uses Swiss components to manufacture missiles and drones. For example, 16 Western-made electronic components were found in the wreckage of a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile. Two of these components were from Swiss semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics.
GPS modules from the Swiss company U-Blox were found in the Shahed-136, Orlan-10, and Lancet-3 drones. These modules can be ordered on the Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba. Currently, the Chinese supplier Shenzhen Jianxinsheng Electronics does not deliver them to Russia but may send them to Belarus or Kazakhstan.
Russia is also interested in acquiring CNC machines, which can be used to manufacture components for both artificial hip joints and missile engines.
In light of this, Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has increased its export controls on goods to countries bordering Russia. In 2024, SECO opened 56 administrative cases for violations of sanctions against Russia.
