Conflicts

Russia has set up a drone development and production programme in China to support its war efforts in Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters news agency based on European intelligence sources and documents it was able to access.


IEMZ Kupol, a Russian arms manufacturer, has been developing and testing a new long-range attack drone model, the Garpiya-3 (G3), in China, with the help of local specialists. Reports from Kupol to the Russian defence ministry indicated that they plan to scale up drone production in China for use in Ukraine.


Although China officially denies supplying weapons to Russia, evidence suggests that complete UAV systems have been sent to Russia. Kupol received seven Chinese-made military drones, including two G3s, and is involved in a joint project with Chinese companies to build a research and production centre in Xinjiang. This could produce 800 drones annually. 


This cooperation may circumvent Western sanctions by operating in China. The White House and NATO expressed concern about the consequences of Chinese involvement, while China insists it remains neutral.


Experts suggest that if confirmed, this cooperation could be a major development in Russia's drone capabilities, although the extent of China's direct involvement remains unclear.

(Tagtik/Source: Reuters, Newsweek/Illustration picture: grunzibaer via Pixabay)