The deadliest kamikaze drones in service with the Russian army, the Lancet, are made from Chinese and likely European parts, according to the Important Stories investigation.
Drones "Lancet" (fly at a speed of 80-110 km / h at a distance of up to 70 km and can carry up to 3 kg of explosives) are produced by Zala Lancet, which is almost equally owned by the Kalashnikov concern and the drone creator Alexander Zakharov.
During the war, Zakharov's company CST supplied the Russian defense complex with products worth 5.3 billion rubles, avoiding the sanctions of Europe and the United States. At the same time, according to "Important stories", CST continues to make drones from Western components, which they buy with the help of intermediary companies.
One of the main suppliers of the CST is the Novosibirsk-based OMP , which carries drone engines, as well as bolts and nuts from China. In 2022–2023, OMP sold goods to CST for 1.4 billion rubles.
The supplier of DCT "ID Solutions" cooperates with vendors in Germany, France and India, and also works in China and the former Soviet republics. This company imported through Uzbekistan American products from Hitech Global and Nvidia worth 150 million rubles.
St. Petersburg-based Spal sold about 100 million worth of products to CST and WMP. Spell has supplies from dozens of European and Asian manufacturers.