British and Irish parts found in deadly Iranian drones that Putin is using to blitz Ukraine

Ukraine has found British and Irish parts in the deadly Iranian drones fired at civilian homes by Russia. The Sun gained exclusive access to a weapons laboratory in Kyiv where experts analyse missiles and drones blasted across its territory. Their treasure trove of mangled metal includes the first Khinzal hypersonic missile to be shot down by a US Patriot air defence battery – after Putin boasted it was unstoppable. Boffins also had parts of the first Zirkon hypersonic missile fired at Ukraine this month and the fuselage of a suspected North Korean KN-23 missile that was fired at Ukraine for the first time last week. Serial numbers on the weapons’ parts let boffins at the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute work out where and when the weapons were fired. Many of the missiles launched this year were made at the end of 2023 – a sign that Russia has exhausted its stockpiles and is taking its most advanced missiles straight from the factory to the battlefield. But on the most alarming finds was the presence of British and Irish parts in the Iranian Shahed one way attack drones. The Sun saw a carburetor taken from a Shahed-M that was clearly stamped with the words “made in Ireland”. It had been made the company Tillotson which also makes go carts and lawnmowers. Next to it was an engine which the director of the military lab said had been made by a company in England. He declined to name the company – citing Britain’s steadfast support for Ukraine – but the words “Engine Serial Number” were written in English. He said a Russian Kartograph drone, which produces a 3-D map of terrain, used Sony optics from Japan. In a nearby electronics lab, where colleagues examined chips through microscopes, they showed us drone antennae from Canada and semi-conductors from Switzerland, the US and China. The Sun delivers breaking news, latest gossip and incredible exclusives around the world with hubs in London, New York, Scotland and Ireland. Covering topics from news, money and sport along with our famous Fabulous Magazine, The Sun is the biggest news brand in the UK and one of the fastest growing news sites in the US. Stay tuned for video clips across the biggest news stories and segments from The Sun’s expert journalists. Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to be the first to know. Read The Sun: Like The Sun on Facebook: Follow The Sun on X: Follow The Sun on TikTok: @thesun Subscribe to The Sun on Snapchat: #TheSun #ukraine #russia