KYIV, — Ukrainian officials have identified Western-made components in Russian RM-48U missiles used for strikes against ground targets from S-300PM and S-400 air defense systems.
The findings were presented during a briefing by Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president’s commissioner for sanctions policy, according to Militarnyi. Ukrainian officials displayed foreign components recovered from Russian missiles, including a cooled laser module manufactured by French company 3SP Technologies.
French laser module found in RM-48U
According to the Ukrainian assessment, experts examining an RM-48U missile recovered a French-made laser component associated with laser-gyroscope systems used for inertial navigation.
3SP Technologies, based in Nozay, France, develops and manufactures optoelectronic components and laser modules. Its product range includes cooled pump laser modules and seed pump laser modules.
Ukrainian experts said the recovered component can be used in fiber-optic gyroscopes and some types of ring laser gyroscopes. Such components can form part of high-precision inertial navigation systems.
The Ukrainian presentation also identified U.S.-made components in the 12-channel Kometa navigation antennas installed on the RM-48U. According to Ukrainian officials, the broader examination of Russian ballistic weapons has identified components originating from several countries.
RM-48U developed from S-300 and S-400 missiles
The RM-48U is based on the 48N6 family of surface-to-air missiles used with Russian S-300 and S-400 systems. Earlier reporting identified RM-48U missiles as target missiles converted from older surface-to-air missiles, while Ukrainian intelligence now describes them as weapons used to strike ground targets.
The missile has been used against Ukrainian targets during Russian missile attacks. The first publicly confirmed use was reported in January 2026, when debris identified as an RM-48U was recovered after a Russian strike. Subsequent reports identified the missile during major attacks, including the June 2 attack.
The RM-48U is reported to carry a high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing approximately 150–180 kilograms.
Russia increases RM-48U production
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence reported in June that Russia had more than doubled production of RM-48U missiles. Russian plans called for the production of more than 480 missiles in 2026, compared with more than 200 in 2025. The reported production rate was up to 50 missiles per month.
More recent Ukrainian intelligence reporting published in August estimated that Russia had around 400 RM-48U missiles in its stockpile and continued producing approximately 50 per month.
The increased production has made the RM-48U a more significant part of Russia’s ballistic-missile inventory. Its use from existing S-300PM and S-400 launch systems also allows the missiles to be incorporated into Russian strike operations using established launch infrastructure.
Ukraine seeks tighter export controls
The identification of foreign components is part of Ukraine’s wider effort to trace Western and other foreign-made parts used in Russian weapons.
Vlasiuk said Ukraine has been providing partner countries with information on identified components, serial numbers, production equipment and materials. Ukrainian officials are seeking additional sanctions and stronger export controls to restrict Russia’s access to components used in missile production.
The Ukrainian assessment indicates that the issue extends beyond individual missile components. Officials also identified foreign-made equipment and materials used in Russia’s wider missile-production process, including precision machine tools and components for rocket-fuel production.
The discovery of the French laser module and U.S.-made components in the RM-48U therefore forms part of a broader Ukrainian effort to identify the foreign supply chains supporting Russia’s missile production.
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