Exclusive: Russia’s Secret War Drones Project in China, According to Intel Sources – Reuters

Russia has initiated a weapons program in China focused on the development and production of long-range attack drones intended for use in the conflict in Ukraine, according to two sources from a European intelligence agency and documents reviewed by news outlets.

IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of the Russian state-owned arms manufacturer Almaz-Antey, has created and flown a new drone model named Garpiya-3 (G3) in China, with assistance from local specialists, as detailed in a report sent by Kupol to the Russian defense ministry earlier this year. In a follow-up update, Kupol informed the ministry that it would be able to mass-produce drones including the G3 at a facility in China, to support the “special military operation” in Ukraine—Moscow’s terminology for the ongoing war.

Neither Kupol, Almaz-Antey, nor the Russian defense ministry responded to inquiries regarding the situation. The Chinese foreign ministry stated that it was not aware of such a project and emphasized that Beijing maintains strict controls over the export of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Fabian Hinz, a research fellow at a London-based defense think tank, remarked that the delivery of UAVs from China to Russia, if verified, would mark a significant escalation. “Up till now, most of what China has supplied consisted of dual-use goods—components that could be utilized in weapon systems,” he noted. “However, we have not seen substantial evidence of entire weapon systems being transferred.”

On the other hand, Samuel Bendett, an adjunct senior fellow at a Washington think tank, indicated that Beijing might be cautious about subjecting itself to international sanctions by supporting Russia’s military efforts. He stressed that further information is needed to confirm China’s involvement in producing Russian military drones.

The White House National Security Council expressed serious concerns over the reported drone program, pointing to it as evidence of a Chinese firm potentially providing lethal assistance to a Russian entity that is subject to U.S. sanctions. While they have not found evidence suggesting that the Chinese government was aware of these transactions, they emphasized that China must ensure that its companies do not provide lethal aid to Russia’s military.

The UK’s Foreign Office urged China to cease any diplomatic and material support to Russia’s military actions, expressing extreme concern about the alleged production of military drones in China.

According to Kupol’s reports, the G3 drone has a range of approximately 2,000 kilometers and can carry a payload of 50 kilograms. Some G3 units, along with other drone models manufactured in China, have been sent to Kupol in Russia for further evaluation, with the help of Chinese experts. The documents reviewed do not name the Chinese specialists involved in this project.

Kupol reportedly received seven military drones produced in China, including two G3s, at its headquarters in the Russian city of Izhevsk. Invoices indicating payments for these drones were sent over the summer by a Russian firm that acts as an intermediary with Chinese suppliers, but did not specify delivery dates or the Chinese providers.

The intelligence sources noted that this delivery represents the first concrete evidence of complete UAVs being manufactured in China and sent to Russia since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022.

Beijing has consistently denied that it or Chinese companies have supplied weapons to Russia for use in the conflict, asserting a stance of neutrality. The Chinese foreign ministry contrasted its position with other nations, accusing them of having “double standards on arms sales” that have exacerbated the Ukrainian crisis.

The documents in question suggest that state-owned Kupol has advanced further by sourcing complete UAV units from China, amidst a race between Russia and Ukraine to increase their drone production capabilities, as both sides recognize the effectiveness of drones in modern warfare.

An analysis by David Albright, a former U.N. weapons inspector, suggested that Kupol might circumvent Western sanctions by establishing production facilities in China, where advanced technology and expertise would be more accessible. However, there’s hesitance from Beijing to allow a production operation that could expose China to the repercussions of these sanctions.

The G3 is reported to be an upgraded version of the Garpiya-A1 drone, redesigned by Chinese experts. Kupol indicated that within eight months, a project in China would lead to the production of a Chinese-designed REM 1 attack UAV capable of carrying a 400-kilogram payload, drawing comparisons to the U.S. Reaper drone.

It has also been reported that a different Russian defense firm is acting as the intermediary in this production collaboration, which involves setting up a joint Russian-Chinese drone research and production center in China’s Xinjiang province, capable of producing 800 drones annually.

Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the military had received around 140,000 drones in 2023, with plans to significantly increase that number in the upcoming year, emphasizing the importance of rapid production to achieve battlefield success.