Secret drones from China could fuel Russia’s war in Ukraine: Report

[Ryan Robertson]

IT LOOKS LIKE RUSSIA IS DEVELOPING LONG-RANGE ATTACK DRONES IN CHINA, AND USING THEM TO BOLSTER ITS WAR EFFORTS IN UKRAINE. THAT’S ACCORDING TO SOME NEW INTEL REPORTS FROM EUROPEAN SOURCES.

RUSSIAN ARMS MANUFACTURER IEMZ KUPOL, A SUBSIDIARY OF A STATE-OWNED ARMS COMPANY, IS LEADING THE PROJECT. THE COMPANY DEVELOPED A NEW DRONE MODEL CALLED THE GARPIYA WITH ASSISTANCE FROM CHINESE SPECIALISTS. GARPIYA IS RUSSIAN FOR HARPY, BUT THE DRONES LOOK A LOT LIKE IRAN’S SHAHEEDS.

KUPOL INFORMED THE RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY THEY CAN MASS-PRODUCE THE DRONES AT A CHINESE FACTORY, PREPARING THEM FOR DEPLOYMENT IN UKRAINE. REPORTS INDICATE SEVEN MILITARY DRONES, WERE ALREADY DELIVERED TO KUPOL’S HEADQUARTERS IN RUSSIA. THESE CHINESE-BUILT DRONES HAVE A RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 1,200 MILES AND CAN CARRY A PAYLOAD OF 110 POUNDS.

THE UNITED STATES IS EXPRESSED SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THESE REPORTS, CALLING IT AN EXAMPLE OF CHINESE COMPANIES PROVIDING LETHAL AID TO A U.S.-SANCTIONED RUSSIAN FIRM.

WHILE THERE IS NO DIRECT EVIDENCE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS INVOLVED, FEW THINGS HAPPEN IN CHINA WITHOUT THE RULING PARTY’S KNOWLEDGE. WHICH IS WHY WASHINGTON IS URGING BEIJING TO ENSURE ITS COMPANIES ARE NOT SUPPORTING RUSSIA’S WAR EFFORT.

CHINA’S FOREIGN MINISTRY DENIED KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH A PROJECT AND REITERATED THAT IT CONTROLS THE EXPORT OF DRONES. BEIJING CONSISTENTLY DENIED PROVIDING WEAPONS TO RUSSIA, CLAIMING IT REMAINS NEUTRAL IN THE CONFLICT….BUT THERE ARE AN INCREASING NUMBER OF REPORTS FROM THE FRONTLINES SHOWING MORE AND MORE CHINESE COMPONENTS BEING USED IN RUSSIA WEAPONS.

EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE SOURCES DESCRIBE THIS AS THE FIRST CONFIRMED INSTANCE OF COMPLETE CHINESE-MADE DRONES BEING SENT TO RUSSIA SINCE THE WAR IN UKRAINE BEGAN.

THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO EXPAND, WITH KUPOL PLANNING TO DEVELOP ANOTHER DRONE MODEL IN CHINA, THE REM 1, SIMILAR TO THE U.S. REAPER DRONE, CAPABLE OF CARRYING AN 880-POUND PAYLOAD.

BOTH RUSSIA AND UKRAINE ARE RAMPING UP DRONE PRODUCTION, WITH DRONES BECOMING A CRITICAL TOOL ON THE BATTLEFIELD. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN SAYS RUSSIAN SOLDIERS RECEIVED AROUND 140-THOUSAND DRONES IN 2023. MOSCOW PLANS TO INCREASE PRODUCTION TENFOLD IN 2024 TO MEET WARTIME DEMANDS.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON. FOR MORE OF OUR UNBIASED — STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING — DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT US AT SAN – DOT – COM.