News

Welsh drone components used by Russia to kill Ukrainians

27 Jul 2026 4 minute read

A mini Raspberry Pi computer board, made at the Sony plant in Pencoed, was part of a drone which damaged local houses in Dnipro earlier this year.

Martin Shipton

Evidence has emerged that microcomputers manufactured in Wales have been used as components in drones used by Russian forces to kill people in Ukraine.

A mini Raspberry Pi computer board made at the Sony plant in Pencoed, near Bridgend, was discovered in the remnants of a drone dropped by Russia on houses in the city of Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine.

A photograph of the component was passed to former Pontpridd MS Mick Antoniw, who is a member of a team from Wales that regularly takes humanitarian supplies to the country.

Mr Antoniw, a former Counsel General of Wales who is of Ukrainian heritage, contacted Nation.Cymru and said: “From the markings visible in the photo, the board appears to be a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B generation, introduced in 2019.”

Ukrainian news outlet United24 Media has run a story that states: “Russian developers continue to refine the telemetry and onboard electronics of the Geran-2 attack drone, integrating widely available civilian technology into systems used on the battlefield in Ukraine, according to the Polkovnik Gsh Telegram channel, which is linked to Ukraine’s Armed Forces and reported the findings on February 12.

“The report states that the core of each upgraded unit—referred to internally at the Alabuga production site as “Borshch”—is a Raspberry Pi single-board computer manufactured in the United Kingdom.

“The channel claims that more than 40,000 such microcomputers were procured and ultimately routed into drones deployed against Ukraine.

“Public financial disclosures show rapid growth in revenue for the Raspberry Pi company over recent years, rising from roughly $100m in 2020 to about $266m in 2023, before stabilising slightly in 2024. Integration of the Raspberry Pi 4 into Geran-series drones reportedly began in 2023.”

The website wales.com published a feature article about Raspberry Pi that stated: “It’s rare for a question to stump Eben Upton, the Pontypool-born creator of the Raspberry Pi computer. But on the matter of how many units he’s sold, he’s hedging his bets. ‘I honestly couldn’t tell you,’ he says. ‘We’d be safe to say 70 million, but I think we’ve done nearer 75 million, with all but five million of those made in Wales.’

He suggests contacting the Sony UK Technology Centre in Pencoed, which has been building the devices since 2012. They confirm the 75-millionth Raspberry Pi has already been made. It’s easily the world’s best-selling single-board computer, and the third-most popular computing platform of all time after the PC and Apple Mac.

“When the first Raspberry Pi computers were released in 2012 – the credit-card-sized Model A and Model B – no UK plant was able to build them. Eben was forced to outsource manufacture to China.

“A solution arrived six months later. With initial sales figures smashing all expectations, Raspberry Pi entered into a partnership agreement with the Sony UK TEC. Since then, every unit has been put together in its 30,000 square-metre facility on the outskirts of Pencoed, a five-minute drive from Bridgend.”

‘Strict measures’

We asked Raspberry Pi what knowledge it had of its microcomputers being used in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Raspberry Pi spokesperson Helen Lynn said: “We apply strict measures that go beyond the requirements of UK and international sanctions to prevent our products from reaching Russia. Unfortunately, despite this, some products do make their way into the country via convoluted onward supply networks, often involving entities in east and central Asia, and we have seen some evidence of their use in military applications.

“We continue to work with data providers including the Kyiv School of Economics to identify sanctions-breaking activity, and with our Licensee and Approved Reseller partners to shut it down.”

Mr Antoniw said: “The company has confirmed that its technology has been used by Russia to kill people in Ukraine. This is a shocking misuse of Welsh technology.

“It’s good to hear that the company is aware of this and anxious to stop this happening. It’s crucial that steps are taken to prevent more innocent lives being lost. Hopefully it will be possible to identify the supply chain and end this.”

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