Europe | Forensic examination

Ukrainian scientists are studying downed Russian missiles

And learning a lot about sanctions-busting

Snow covered wreckage of intercepted missiles in Ukraine
Photograph: Getty Images
|KYIV

THE BACK of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise does not seem an unmissable attraction, especially on a damp winter morning. But for weapons experts and intelligence types, the place is a major draw. Fragments of Russian missiles, drones—some of them almost wholly intact—and artillery shells lie on the ground, overlooked by rows of Soviet-era apartment blocks.

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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Forensic examination”

From the January 25th 2025 edition

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