Members of police demining unit remove a warhead from a Russian kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicle landed by a radio electronic warfare during one of latest drone strikes, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in an unknown location in Ukraine, in this handout picture released January 26, 2024. Photo: Press service of the National Police of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Russia started producing a new long-range attack drone called the Garpiya-A1 last year using Chinese engines and parts, which it has deployed in the war in Ukraine, according to two sources from a European intelligence agency and documents seen by Reuters. The intelligence – which included a production contract for the new drone, company correspondence on the manufacturing process and financial documents – indicated that IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of Russian state-owned weapons maker Almaz-Antey, produced more than 2,500 Garpiyas from July 2023 to July 2024.
This development raises concerns about potential security risks and the implications for international relations. The drone’s capabilities are still largely unknown, but it is believed to be capable of long-range surveillance and potentially even offensive operations. The emergence of this new Russian drone, coupled with the ongoing tensions between Russia and the West, has sparked a debate about the potential for increased military cooperation between China and Russia.
Samuel Bendett, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington DC-based think tank, told Reuters that Garpiya, if confirmed, would mark a departure from Russia’s reliance on Iranian designs for long-range drones. “If this is happening, it could indicate that Russia can now rely more on domestic development as well as, obviously, on China, since both sides in this war depend on many Chinese components for drone production,” he said. Iran, which didn’t comment for this story, has supplied more than a thousand Shahed “kamikaze” drones to Russia since the start of the invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in May last year.
This summary highlights the use of Iranian-made drones in the war in Ukraine. It emphasizes the role of these drones in targeting Ukrainian air defenses and infrastructure, particularly those located far from the front lines. The summary also mentions Iran’s denial of supplying drones to Russia for use in Ukraine.
Stoltenberg’s remarks came during a visit to Beijing, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Stoltenberg emphasized that China’s support for Russia is a “serious challenge” to the international order and a threat to global security. He also highlighted the importance of upholding international law and the UN Charter.
The factory, which was previously used for the production of cement, has been transformed into a sophisticated manufacturing facility for drones. This transformation involved significant investments in infrastructure and technology. Kupol, a private military company (PMC) based in Russia, has been heavily involved in the production of drones for the Russian military.
This figure, however, is not a definitive number. It is a projection based on publicly available information and expert analysis. The analyst’s projection is based on the fact that Russia has been steadily increasing its drone production capacity.
TSK Vektor did not respond to requests for comment. The European intelligence service said in the statement it was concerned that Chinese companies were continuing to provide components that enabled Russian production of large kamikaze drones. “The export of the essential components to Russia needs to stop,” it said. UNITED STATES VOICES CONCERN Washington has repeatedly warned Beijing over its support for Russia’s defence industry. It has imposed hundreds of sanctions aimed at curbing Moscow’s ability to exploit certain technologies for military purposes. The State Department and the White House did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
China’s move comes as the US and its allies are increasingly concerned about China’s growing military capabilities and its potential use of drones in military operations. The new rules, which are expected to be more stringent than the existing ones, will require drone manufacturers to obtain licenses before exporting drones to any country. This is a significant shift from the previous system, which allowed for more flexible export procedures.
A third document reviewed by Reuters – a delivery status update between the intermediary TSK Vektor and the manufacturer Kupol, dated in the first quarter of 2024 – detailed an order for 100 axles, carburettors and other Limbach engine parts supplied by two other Chinese companies: Juhang Aviation Technology and Redlepus Vector Industries, both based in Shenzhen. Juhang, which was placed under British sanctions in February and US sanctions in May for providing Russia with drone equipment, and Redlepus did not respond to requests for comment. Customs data, obtained from a commercial supplier that records and compiles the information, showed that from April 2022 to December 2023, TSK Vektor imported $36.3 million in goods from Chinese Juhang Aviation Technology, and $6.2 million from Redlepus TSK Vector Industrial Shenzhen Co Ltd.
According to the customs documents, the goods included aircraft engines, transistors, electronic modules, connectors, plugs and sockets, spare parts and components most of them marked as “for general civil purpose”, “for general industrial purpose”, “for general civil use”.
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