Russia has a secret factory for the production of combat drones in China - Reuters
According to two sources in the European Intelligence Service and the documents that the journalists got acquainted, Russia has created in China a program of weapons for the development and production of long -range percussion drones for use in the war against Ukraine.
"Dome", a subsidiary of the Russian state weapons company "Diamond-Anta", has developed and conducted flight tests in China a new model of the drone "Harpia-3" (G3) with the help of local specialists, according to the report from the "dome" sent to the dome to The Ministry of Defense of Russia earlier this year describing its work.
The company reported that they were able to produce drones, including G3, on a large scale at a plant in China so that weapons could be deployed in the so -called "its" in Ukraine. "Dome", "Diamond Antai" and the Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to requests for comments on this article.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China reported Reuters that it did not know such a project, adding that strict measures of control over the export of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were introduced in the country. Fabian Hinz, a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Analytical Center for Defense Based in London, said that UAV delivery from China to Russia, if it is confirmed, would be a significant event.
"If you look at what China is known to have been put up, these were mostly dual -use products - these were components that could , at least in open sources, it is documented gearboxes of entire weapons systems, "he said. However, Samuel Bendett, an auxiliary senior researcher at the New American Security Center (CNAS), believes that Beijing will not dare to assist Moscow and be replaced by international sanctions.
Harpia drone can fly about 2000 km with a amount of 50 kg load, according to the "dome" report. G3 samples and some other models of Chinese -made drones were delivered to Russia for further trials, again with the involvement of Chinese experts, they reported. Documents do not indicate Chinese experts from drones involved in the project.
According to the two separate documents considered by the Reuters, the dome received the supply of seven military drones made in China, including two G3, to their headquarters in the Russian city of Izhevsk. Invoices, one of which requires payment in Chinese yuan, do not indicate delivery dates and do not identify suppliers in China.
Two sources in intelligence stated that the delivery of drones to the dome was the first specific evidence that the goals of UAVs made in China were delivered to Russia since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his military received about 140,000 drones in 2023 and that Moscow plans to increase this number of ten this year.