China and the Russian Federation are jointly developing an attack drone for use in the war in Ukraine – Bloomberg
Beijing, most likely, is close to providing lethal military aid to Russia, which high-ranking officials in the West have warned against.
Companies in Russia and China are engaged in the development of an attack drone – an analogue of the Iranian Shahed, with which the Russian army attacks Ukraine. This is stated in materials Bloomberg, citing European officials.
Thus, Beijing, most likely, is extremely close to providing lethal military aid to Russia, despite the warnings of Western officials.
In 2023, the companies held talks about copying Iran’s Shahed attack drone and in 2024 began developing and testing their own version. It is assumed that the drone will be delivered to Russia. So far, Chinese drones have not been used in the war against Ukraine, they clarified.
If Russia receives Chinese-made UAVs, it will be evidence of Beijing’s increased support for Moscow, despite warnings from the US and its allies.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials say China is refraining from direct arms and artillery transfers that would represent an unprecedented escalation and almost certainly trigger powerful sanctions against the world’s second-largest economy.
The United States claims that China is considering the transfer of completely finished drones to the Russian Federation, but at the same time, the country is sending kits that can be used to make strike drones, said the interlocutor of the agency, who is familiar with the matter.
Washington still has no convincing evidence that China has provided military aid to Russia, although it acknowledges that other countries may have a different interpretation.
