Since the beginning of September, China has imposed restrictions on the supply of drones and their components outside the country, which can significantly affect the situation in the criminal war launched by Russia against Ukraine, in which both sides actively use UAVs manufactured in China.
What is known about the use of Chinese UAVs by Russia and Ukraine in the war
The article's authors refer to information from analysts of the Royal Joint Services Institute, a British security think tank, according to which Ukraine spends 10,000 crewless aerial vehicles at the front every month.
The most used are budget Chinese UAVs DJI, EHang and Autel.
Their drones are prevalent among amateur photographers and outdoor enthusiasts.
However, the Ukrainian military is turning these UAVs into effective weapons, attaching explosives to them and directing them to the positions of the criminal army of the Russian Federation.
Chinese FPV drones controlled with the help of virtual reality glasses are also popular.
The publication notes that Beijing uses this hidden influence on the parties to the conflict in Ukraine.
In recent months, Chinese companies have reduced sales of drones and components to Ukraine. At the same time, in the first half of 2023, Russia received direct deliveries of drones from Chinese trading companies worth at least 14.5 million dollars, the authors of the material emphasize.
However, due to the export restrictions introduced in China at the beginning of September, the situation with the supply of UAVs has significantly worsened.
Now, Ukraine is forced to look for new sources of supplies.
We are considering all possible ways to export drones from China, because, no matter what, they produce the most there, Oles Malyarevich admits, who is an 44-year-old officer of the 92nd mechanized brigade.
Are Chinese companies refusing to supply UAVs to Ukraine?
Currently, companies from China are not refusing to sell drones to Ukraine. Still, in most cases, they require creating a complex network of intermediaries similar to those used by Russia to circumvent Western sanctions.
We have to reinvent increasingly complex supply chains. We have to convince Chinese factories to help us with components, because they are not happy to help us, Maria Berlinska explains, an expert on combat drones and the project manager of Victory Drones.
Oleksiy Kolesnyk, founder of the Dnipro-based company Reactive Drone, told reporters that he receives components from China through personal connections with Chinese factories.
However, he noted that new export regulations could make it harder to get the night vision cameras needed for the latest drones.
Even when you see labels like "America" or "Australia" on a component, it's still made in China. It is really almost impossible to create something that could effectively replace China, Kolesnyk explains.
According to official customs data, Ukraine has recently received millions of Chinese drones and components despite the restrictions, and the majority came from European intermediaries.
Also, Ukraine finds spare parts for its advanced drones in Europe, the United States and other countries, such as Taiwan.
Read also:
The Armed Forces made a technological revolution at the front and changed the rules of war — WSJ;
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation repelled 19 attacks by the Russian army and struck 13 enemy positions — the establishment of the General Staff;
This year, the Russian army managed to occupy a tiny territory of Ukraine — The New York Times.
