We worked with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on an investigation exposing how Mosfilm buys drones and electronic warfare equipment for the Russian Armed Forces. The full version of the article is available here in Russian.
Russian governmental procurement databases show that the Mosfilm film studio purchased nearly 6 million rubles worth of drones and electronic warfare systems between June 2024 and October 2025. The most popular model of drones shown in databases is the DJI Mavic 3T, equipped with a thermal imager. Such drones are often used for reconnaissance and targeting roles. Furthermore, Mosfilm also purchased Romashka UAV jammers, Asel and Bulat drone detectors, as well as Starlink routers.
Previously, in 2022, a government decree authorized regions, “as a special economic measure,” to purchase dual-use items for mobilized troops using funds from local budgets and state institutions. The decree, signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin states that procurement was to be carried out “based on applications submitted by military command bodies authorized by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.” Despite issues with equipping the army being mostly resolved, the supply of dual-use goods through regional governmental agencies has continued.
Screenshot of a Mosfilm contract from clearspending.ru
Three museums in the Leningrad Region also contributed to the war effort. In these tenders, the purpose is clearly specified, either for “the needs of the Air Defense Forces” or “the needs of the SVO.” These museums procured similar items to Mosfilm such as Starlink routers or Mavic drones. This appears to be a localized effort, as other museums do not have public tenders for such items.
The head of Mosfilm was sanctioned by the European Union in July 2025 for “actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine.” Despite this, Mosfilm has not fallen under the purview of Western sanctions.
Graphic credits: RFE/RL