Diplomats in Brussels have been presented with “convincing” evidence that Russia has built a factory in China to produce killer drones.
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The European Union is increasingly convinced that Russia is producing killer drones in China to support its aggression against Ukraine, raising new questions about the risks Beijing is willing to take to respect its “unlimited partnership ” with Moscow.
Growing concerns focus on a secret weapons program that Russia allegedly implemented in the Chinese province of Xinjiangand which was first brought to light by Reuters in an exclusive investigation published in September.
The Reuters report describes how a subsidiary of Almaz-Antey, the largest enterprise in Russia's military-industrial complex subject to EU and US sanctions, has “developed and flight tested” a new long-range drone model “with the help of local specialists”. (The media was unable to determine the identity of the specialists, but has seen documents confirming the transfer of the Chinese-made drones to the Russian city of Izhevsk).
The European External Action Service (EEAS), the diplomatic arm of the European Union, also received evidence from intelligence sources showing that Russia had set up a factory on Chinese soil to assemble drones that could potentially be deployed to target Ukraine.
These drones would be designed for attack purposes rather than reconnaissance.
However, the EEAS has yet to confirm three crucial pieces of information: whether the factory produces killer drones, whether those drones have already been shipped to Russia, and whether Beijing is aware of Moscow's weapons program.
Discussions between the EEAS and Beijing are underway to clarify the situation.
“We don't have anything more. We don't have clear evidence of what's happening,” a senior EU official said on Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“It is hard to believe that this is happening without the knowledge or complete ignorance of the (Chinese) authorities.”
Diplomats in Brussels called the evidence “convincing” and warned that, if ultimately confirmed, China's supply of drones to Russia would represent a major escalation with unpredictable consequences for the war.
So far, the EU has accused Beijing of supplying Moscow with dual-use goods and advanced technologies that can be used for military purposes. Consequently, the Union sanctioned a handful of companies in Hong Kong and mainland China. The sanctions, however, have never focused on the direct supply of complete weapons.
Beijing has denied any involvement in the invasion and insists that she maintains an equidistant positionthat the West widely interpreted as being pro-Russian.
Without China's covert help, one diplomat said, “Russia could not have fought this war.”
“There should be consequences,” the diplomat added, noting that the suspicions currently on the table were “very serious” and deserved more explanation.
The obscurity surrounding Russia's alleged weapons program in China makes it difficult to predict what kind of sanctions the EU might impose, if any. “The evidence we have today is not strong enough for us to act accordingly,” warned the senior EU official.
ADVERTISEMENTIn its war of aggression, Russia deployed killer drones on a large scale to destroy Ukraine's electrical infrastructure and civilian buildings, killing hundreds of people in the process.
This information comes at a critical time for the country, as Russian forces make significant gains on the ground and North Korean troopsjoin the fight in the Kursk region. They also coincide with the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, who promised to review military aid to Ukraine and reach a deal to end the war “within 24 hours.”
EU foreign ministers should discuss the issue of Chinese-made drones when they get together Monday in Brussels.
