Chinese UAV experts help Russians create new drones – Reuters

Chinese drone experts are collaborating with Russia on the development of military drones at the state-owned enterprise "Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant (IEMZ) "Kupol", which is under sanctions. Reuters reports this with reference to two unnamed European officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to the agency, Chinese experts have visited Kupol more than six times, starting in the second quarter of last year. During this time, the company received batches of Chinese-made strike and reconnaissance drones through a Russian intermediary.

It is noted that Kupol received more than a dozen drones manufactured by Chinese drone manufacturer Sichuan AEE. This is evidenced by documents, including invoices and bank statements.

According to them, the drones were supplied by Russian defense procurement company TSK Vektor, which is under US and EU sanctions. The Dome itself was also subject to US sanctions in 2023.

The agency emphasized that in September last year, Kupol also developed a new drone, the Harpy-3. This happened in China and with the help of local specialists. The publication also states that the cooperation indicates the deepening of relations between Kupol and Chinese companies in the development of drones.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they were unaware of this cooperation.

"China has always maintained an objective and fair position on the question of the Ukraine crisis, never providing lethal weapons to any party in the conflict and strictly controlling dual-use items, including drone exports," the ministry said in a statement.

It was previously reported that the enemy's new AI drone V2U is now able to operate completely without communication. It can self-target. It was also reported that the enemy uses four versions of the "Shahed".