Russian Drone Documents Draw Line From China to Ukraine’s Skies
Investigation shows how Chinese suppliers have been key for Russia’s war against Ukraine
A mass drone and missile attack by Russia on Kyiv on July 4.
Photographer: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty ImagesSoon after President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale war on Ukraine, a little-known Russian company thousands of miles away hatched a plan to partner with Chinese firms and solve one of the most urgent challenges faced by the invading army — the need for combat drones that were radically reshaping the battlefield.
Documents reviewed by Bloomberg — including memos from the company, Aero-HIT, as well as correspondence with Russian government officials — offer unprecedented insight into how Moscow capitalized on its friendly ties with Beijing to skirt Western sanctions and acquire the know-how and capability to build drones to attack Ukraine. They lay out in detail a previously unreported case study of Russian-Chinese corporate collaboration on defense technology.