Deliveries of Chinese components for drones used by Russia in its war against Ukraine have surged dramatically, The Washington Post reports.
This year, the Russian army has increasingly deployed fiber-optic-guided drones on the front lines — systems that are resistant to electronic warfare. As a result, Russian forces have effectively disrupted normal supply routes for Ukrainian troops on the front and are using these drones to hunt civilians in frontline towns. China is directly influencing Russia’s offensive; without Chinese assistance, the effectiveness of such drones would be far lower.
In May and June, Russia imported a record volume of fiber-optic cables, and by August, that figure had skyrocketed nearly tenfold — reaching 524,800 kilometers. The high value of these shipments relative to their weight suggests that these are military-grade cables. The August deliveries from China alone, if fully used for drone production, would be enough to equip 26,240 drones.
China also exports fiber-optic cables to Ukraine, but on a much smaller scale — only 115 kilometers in August. Although China has officially stopped supplying ready-made drones to Russia, the continued export of critical components indicates that Beijing still supports Russia’s military-industrial complex.
At the same time, the flow of non-military Chinese goods — which have been helping the Russian economy survive shortages and sanctions — continues to decline sharply, despite the Kremlin’s requests to boost mutual trade.
As of September, Chinese exports to Russia plunged by 21%, totaling $8.85 billion, the lowest level since February. Moreover, the downturn is accelerating: –8.6% year-over-year in July, –16.4% in August. Over the first nine months of the year, imports from China fell by 10.6%.
