The West has evidence that China supplied Russia with weapons for war

Western officials believe they have evidence that Chinese companies are secretly supplying weapons to Russia. This could mean a significant escalation of Beijing's involvement in the war in Ukraine.

This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to The Times.

A new report received by the allies says that a Chinese company sent a number of specially designed military drones to Russia for testing. Their final destination was Ukraine.

According to a Western official, who did not disclose the name of the company, the deal took place in 2023. However, there is now clear evidence that Chinese companies are supplying Russia with deadly weapons for use in Ukraine.

“Although the Chinese government may not admit it, it will be difficult for it to hide its growing support,” the official added, accusing Beijing of involvement or knowledge of the supply.

In addition, the sources confirmed a Reuters report published earlier in the week that Russia is believed to have set up a program in China to develop and produce long-range attack drones for use in the war against Ukraine.

One of the documents states that the Kupol Research and Production Plant, a subsidiary of the Russian state arms company Almaz-Antey, has developed and flight-tested a new model of the Harpy-3 (G3) drone in China with the help of local specialists.

This year, Kupol submitted a report on the work done to the Russian Ministry of Defense. In subsequent reports, the company informed the Defense Ministry that it had managed to establish large-scale production of drones, including G3, at a plant in China so that these weapons could be used in the war against Ukraine.

At the same time, a NATO spokesperson told The Times that the information provided by the publication “is deeply concerning, and the allies are consulting on the matter.”

“China has been a crucial enabler of Russia's war in Ukraine, providing dual-use technology to support the Russian defense industry. The Chinese government has an obligation to ensure that its companies do not provide deadly assistance to Russia. China cannot continue to fuel the largest conflict in Europe since World War II without affecting its interests and reputation,” the source added.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 30/09/2024