Russia has initiated a secret drone development program in China to produce long-range attack drones that could potentially be used in its war against Ukraine, according to European intelligence sources.
Collaboration With Chinese Specialists
The program involves the production of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) through collaboration with Chinese specialists, though the U.S. government believes China’s leadership was unaware of these transactions.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council (NSC) expressed concern about this program, citing it as evidence that China’s efforts to prevent lethal assistance from its businesses to Russia have fallen short, according to Ziare.
While U.S. officials have not found direct evidence of Chinese government involvement, they have warned that companies involved may face sanctions. Washington is prepared to take immediate action against the Chinese firms identified in the reports and is coordinating with European allies on next steps.
Chinese Experts Assisted
The drones in question are being developed by IEMZ Kupol, a Russian subsidiary of the state-owned arms company Almaz-Antey.
Kupol has designed and tested a new drone model called the Garpiya-3 (G3) in China, according to internal documents. The G3 has a range of approximately 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) and a payload capacity of 50 kilograms (110 pounds).
Chinese experts are believed to have assisted Kupol in redesigning the drone for mass production in China.
China’s government denies any knowledge of the project, asserting that it enforces strict export controls on UAVs. However, the intelligence sources state this program marks the first confirmed delivery of entire combat drones from China to Russia since the war began.
