Russia is building military drones in China, according to an exclusive released by Reuters on Wednesday.
Drones have become a mainstay of the conflict, sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kyiv has in recent weeks stepped up its own UAV offensives, deploying them deep into Russian territory to target infrastructure and supply depots.
The Biden administration has sanctioned several Chinese companies it says were involved in supplying Russia with drone components and other military-related goods. However, it's the first time China has been reported to be furnishing Russia with the airborne weapons in their entirety.
Reuters cited documents it had reviewed, as well as two sources from a European intelligence agency speaking on condition of anonymity. Newsweek could not independently confirm the report.
Russian R&D company IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of state-owned Almaz-Antey, has been operating in China, according to one of the documents. The document, which Kupol delivered to the Russian Defense Ministry at an unspecified time this year, details the company's activities.
Kupol has developed and conducted flight tests for a new model of war drone, the Garpiya-3 (G3), an upgraded version of Russia's Garpiya-A1 UAV that incorporates the designs of Chinese specialists, according to details contained in the document.
In a later report, Kupol told the ministry that a factory in China is capable of manufacturing the G3 and other drone models, with the intent to deploy them in Russia's "special military operation," the Kremlin's term for its war against Ukraine.
According to the Kupol files reviewed by Reuters, the G3 can travel up to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) with a 110-pound munition. This range far exceeds that of drones Russia is currently known to produce, and the payload is heftier than the long-range drones Moscow employs. These capabilities make the G3 comparable to the Shahed-136 suicide drones provided to Russia by Iran.
Several models of drones, including the G3, have been sent to Russia to undergo further trials, the documents said, with unnamed Chinese drone specialists to be involved in the testing.
Delivery of seven war drones, including two G3s, was confirmed by undated invoices sent to Kupol this summer by a Russian company working as an intermediary between the R&D firm and unnamed suppliers in China.
Reuters' intelligence sources said the documents marked the most convincing proof since Russia's invasion that entire drones were being built in China and delivered to its northern neighbor.
Newsweek reached out to IEMZ Kupol via email with a request for comment.
Jan Kallberg, a former West Point professor and a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis think tank, pointed out that, unlike the U.S. and other Western countries arming Ukraine, weapons from Russia's allies don't come with restrictions attached.
"It doesn't matter if the Western long-range fire is superior if you are prohibited from using the missiles at the 'fat' targets such as railheads, supply dumps and command structures within Russia," he told Newsweek. "Until now, the savior for the Ukrainians has been the low Russian output of long-range drones. Any increase in availability, such as Chinese production, is a direct threat."
But Kallberg pointed out a possible strategic disadvantage to the involvement of Chinese drone makers. Ukrainians' experience could lead to greater efficiency in taking them out, "knowledge it is likely the Koreans, Taiwanese and Vietnamese will gain and pave the way for their drone and countermeasure efforts."
China has denied shipping military goods to Russia. However, it is believed to be a source of dual-use components for Russian tools of war like its Orlan-10 drones.
Civilian drones manufactured by Chinese drone maker DJI have been widely used by Russian and Ukrainian forces in the besieged country, according to a database compiled by UAV expert Faine Greenwood. DJI has said it denounces and actively discourages the use of its products in combat.
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, U.S. Department of Defense and Russian Defense Ministry with written requests for comment.
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