China is going to supply Russia with kamikaze drones, which it plans to use in the war against Ukraine. Der Spiegel writes about this, emphasizing that Moscow and Beijing are already negotiating. We are talking about buying a hundred drones.
According to Der Spiegel, the Chinese drone maker Xi'an Bingo Intelligent Aviation Technology is the supplier. It has agreed to provide Russia with prototypes of its ZT-180 UAVs by April 2023. Military experts believe that in their design they will be similar to the Iranian Shahed-136, actively used by Russia against Ukraine. It is likely that Chinese drones will be able to carry a warhead weighing from 35 to 50 kg. The issue will not be limited directly to the supply of drones. According to Der Spiegel, in the future Bingo plans to supply Russia with its components and technologies for setting up production on its territory.
In addition, Germany has data indicating that China is transferring commercial drones to Russia. Deliveries are carried out by Chinese state corporations through the United Arab Emirates. According to Der Spiegel sources familiar with the details of these deals, Russia is using commercial UAVs in the war in Ukraine for reconnaissance.
This is not the first time that China has been supplying weapons to Russia. However, China itself denies this information. Moreover, the PRC Foreign Ministry published "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukrainian Crisis", in which it calls for an end to hostilities and "abandonment of the Cold War mentality."
