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Russia has a program in China for the development and production of drones for use in the war in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Russia created a weapons program in China to develop and produce long-range strike drones for the war against Ukraine.
IEP “Kupol,” a subsidiary of the Russian state-owned arms company “Almaz-Antey,” developed and conducted flight tests of a new drone model called “Harpy-3” (G3) in China, with the assistance of local specialists.
“Kupol” informed the Russian Ministry of Defense that it could produce the drones, including the G3, on a large scale at a plant in China so that the weapons could be used in the “special military operation” in Ukraine — the term Moscow uses to describe the war.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it was unaware of such a project, adding that strict measures were in place to control drone exports.
Last week, U.S. officials expressed concerns about what they called China’s support of Russia’s military apparatus.
The “Harpy-3” drone can fly over 2,000 kilometers and carry a payload of 50 kilograms, according to a report from Kupol for Russia’s Ministry of Defense. Samples of the Harpy and other Chinese-made drone models were delivered to Russia for further testing, again with the involvement of Chinese experts.
“Kupol” received seven military drones made in China, including two “Harpy” drones, at its headquarters in Izhevsk. Invoices, one of which requested payment in Chinese yuan, did not indicate the delivery date of the drones or identify the Chinese suppliers.
The delivery of drone samples to Kupol is reported to be the first concrete evidence that drones made in China have been sent to Russia since the start of the large-scale war in Ukraine.
Read also: The US is working on a “workaround” to continue military support for Ukraine, – Politico
