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Aujourd’hui — 8 juillet 2025Flux principal
  • ✇Euromaidan Press
  • China helped build the drones now hitting Ukraine—Bloomberg traces the parts
    Chinese drone parts in Russian weapons are helping Russia expand its drone war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports. Documents reviewed by Bloomberg show Russian firm Aero-HIT partnered with Chinese suppliers and engineers to mass-produce combat drones now used across the frontline. As the all-out Russo-Ukrainian war nears year four, drones are key. Zelenskyy said in May that China cut drone sales to Ukraine but continues sending them to Russia. Despite official denials, Chinese tech remains embedded i
     
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✇Euromaidan Press

China helped build the drones now hitting Ukraine—Bloomberg traces the parts

Par :Yuri Zoria
8 juillet 2025 à 09:51

china helped build drones now hitting ukraine—bloomberg traces parts chinese company autel robotics which has cooperated russian firms drone production showcases japan expo 2025 fb/autel despite denials engineers hardware inside

Chinese drone parts in Russian weapons are helping Russia expand its drone war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports. Documents reviewed by Bloomberg show Russian firm Aero-HIT partnered with Chinese suppliers and engineers to mass-produce combat drones now used across the frontline.

As the all-out Russo-Ukrainian war nears year four, drones are key. Zelenskyy said in May that China cut drone sales to Ukraine but continues sending them to Russia. Despite official denials, Chinese tech remains embedded in Russia’s drone war.
China claims it doesn’t supply lethal aid to Russia, while Autel denies ties to Aero-HIT. Still, Bloomberg found that Chinese firms and intermediaries continued supporting Russia’s drone production. 

Chinese engineering behind Russia’s drone buildup

In early 2023, Aero-HIT began working with engineers from Autel Robotics, China’s major manufacturers of drones and drone parts, to adapt the civilian Autel EVO Max 4T for military use, according to Bloomberg. The model proved effective in combat and resistant to jamming.

Aero-HIT claims it can produce up to 10,000 drones per month at its Khabarovsk facility. Its Veles FPV drone has been deployed in Kherson and elsewhere. A March 2024 order priced the units at $1,000 each.

Chinese drone parts in Russian weapons still flowing

Despite sanctions, Chinese drone parts in Russian weapons continue reaching Russia through intermediaries. Bloomberg identified firms like Renovatsio-Invest and Shenzhen Huasheng Industry—both under US sanctions—as key suppliers. Civilian companies in sectors like seafood and catering were used to obscure transactions.

Autel says it cut ties with Russia in February 2022. Yet, documents show resumed contact with its engineers by late 2024 and production plans ongoing into 2025.

The drone project born in Harbin and built in Khabarovsk

The partnership began in late 2022, Bloomberg says. Russian company Komax, linked to sanctioned senator and ex-KGB officer Konstantin Basyuk, led talks with China’s Harbin Comprehensive Bonded Zone. In May 2023, a Russian delegation visited Autel and the Harbin Institute of Technology.

After the visit, Aero-HIT was registered, production began soon after. In August 2024, the Defense Ministry requested 5,000 Veles drones.

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