Russia replaced US-made Texas Instruments processors in Kinzhal missiles with domestic chips in 2023, but newer missiles are again using American processors, according to Vladyslav Vlasyuk, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s representative on sanctions policy.The finding is part of a broader analysis showing that foreign electronics remain deeply embedded in Russia’s weapons industry despite years of sanctions and export controls, Vlasyuk told Kyiv Post.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.A study of the Zarya-61 onboard computer used in the Kinzhal found that Russia replaced American Texas Instruments processors with domestic chips in 2023.But the substitution was absent from a newer Zarya-61 recovered from a missile shot down in May 2026, with American processors appearing again.Vlasyuk said the finding indicates that Russian alternatives may not have delivered the required performance.The Zarya-61 also illustrates how Russia combines foreign electronics of different ages. One board, assembled in May 2025, contained components manufactured between 2021 and 2024, including an American Texas Instruments digital signal processor and memory made by IDT, now owned by Japan’s Renesas.Another board contained a Texas Instruments processor marked as dating to 1986 and AMD chips manufactured in 1996.Vlasyuk said the findings show that Russia does not necessarily need the newest foreign technology for every weapons system.
Russia Returns to US Chips in Kinzhal Missiles as 96 Foreign Parts Found in One 2026 Drone
Vlasyuk says foreign electronics remain embedded in Russian weapons, with components made as recently as 2026 still reaching Moscow’s military industry.
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