Russia’s leading film studio and several regional historical museums are buying drones and military-capable electronic equipment for use in Ukraine in what appears to be an unusual example of cultural institutions being forced to spend budget funds on the war effort.
According to government procurement data reviewed by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, between June 2024 and October 2025 Mosfilm purchased six models of popular drones equipped with night-vision cameras, along with various electronic warfare systems valued at nearly 6 million rubles ($76,000).
The studio — a state-backed enterprise at the heart of Russia’s venerable film industry — purchased drone detectors, jammers, and other electronic warfare stations, the documents showed.
It wasn’t exactly clear where the equipment ended up; however, a 2022 government decree authorized all publicly funded institutions, including cultural organizations, to make such acquisitions as a way to support the all-out invasion of Ukraine.
Mosfilm did not respond to queries from RFE/RL seeking comment about the purchases.
Western countries imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in the wake of the invasion in an attempt to choke off supplies of dual-use technology, electronics, and equipment Russia needs for its warfighting effort but is unable to manufacture itself.
But Moscow has devised myriad systems, both official and unofficial, to try to circumvent the sanctions, using third countries such as the Central Asian nations and Turkey as conduits for the goods.
In the procurement files, RFE/RL also found that at least three museums in the region around St. Petersburg had bought not only drones but also Starlink mobile Internet systems, military-capable radios, and motorcycles.
The Vyborg Museum-Reserve organized at least six tenders for the equipment over the same time span, spending over 5 million rubles. It’s unclear where the goods ended up.
Another cultural institution, Monrepos Park, signed a 510,000-ruble contract in September for “supply of goods for the needs of the” Ukraine war.
Founded in 1924, Mosfilm was the Soviet Union’s most important studio for moviemaking and film production, a trend that continued after the Soviet collapse. Among other movies, the studio produced films by Andrei Tarkovsky and Sergei Eisenstein.
