According to a report, it concerns a Chinese company providing “lethal assistance” to a Russian company sanctioned by the United States, the White House said on Wednesday.
The US has certainly not seen anything to suggest that China is aware of the collaboration, or that the Chinese authorities are in any way involved, the statement further states.
– But the Chinese government also has a responsibility to ensure that companies do not provide lethal aid to Russia that can be used by the Russian military, said a spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council.
Long-range drones
Intelligence sources tell Reuters that Russia has established a drone factory in China for the production of long-range drones for use in the war against Ukraine.
Specifically, it concerns a new drone model called Garpija-3 (G3), developed with the help of local specialists in China, according to a document and a message that Kupol, a subsidiary of the Russian state-owned arms manufacturer Almaz-Antej, sent to the Russian Ministry of Defense earlier in year.
In a subsequent update to Moscow, Kupol writes, according to Reuters, that the company is capable of producing drones, including the G3, on a large scale at a factory in China and that the drones can be used in the “military special operation” in Ukraine. The G3 has a range of around 2,000 kilometers and can carry a load of 50 kilograms, according to Kupol’s reports.
Kupol, Almaz-Antej and the Russian Ministry of Defense have not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment on the case. Nor has the Ukrainian government done that.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds that the government in Beijing is not aware of any such project and that the country has strict control measures that regulate the export of drones.
Increased production
According to Kupol’s messages, the G3 is an upgraded version of the Garpija-A1 drone. Kupol states that within six months the project in China can be ready to produce Chinese-developed drones of the type REM 1 with a load capacity of 400 kilograms.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country would receive around 140,000 drones in 2023 and that a tenfold increase is expected this year.
– Whoever reacts fastest to the demand from the battlefield wins, Putin said at a meeting in St. Petersburg that dealt with drone production.
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2024-09-26 14:06:32
