From Reuters:
"Exclusive: Chinese engines, shipped as 'cooling units', power Russian drones used in Ukraine
By Reuters,
July
23 (Reuters) - Chinese-made engines are being covertly shipped via
front companies to a state-owned drone manufacturer in Russia, labelled
as "industrial refrigeration units" to avoid detection in the wake of
Western sanctions, according to three European security officials and
documents reviewed by Reuters.
The
shipments have allowed Russian weapons-maker IEMZ Kupol to increase its
production of the Garpiya-A1 attack drone, despite the U.S. and E.U.
sanctions imposed in October designed to disrupt its supply chain,
according to the sources and documents, which included contracts,
invoices and customs paperwork.
An
internal Kupol document, reviewed by Reuters, showed it signed a
contract with the Russian defence ministry to produce more than 6,000
Garpiya this year, up from 2,000 in 2024. The document stated that more
than 1,500 drones had already been delivered by April.
The
long-range drone is being deployed to attack civilian and military
targets deep within Ukrainian territory, with around 500 being used by
Russia per month, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency said in a
statement to Reuters.
The
European security officials asked that neither they nor their
organisation be identified due to the sensitivity of the information.
They also requested some specific details in the documents be withheld,
such as their dates and the cost of contracts.
In September, Reuters reported that Kupol was producing the Garpiya using Chinese technology,
including L550E engines made by Xiamen Limbach Aviation Engine Co. A
month after the Reuters' report, the European Union and the U.S. sanctioned several companies involved in producing the drones, including Xiamen.
In
the wake of the sanctions, a new Chinese firm called Beijing Xichao
International Technology and Trade has started supplying the L550E
engines to Kupol, according to invoices, a Kupol internal letter and
transportation documents reviewed by Reuters.
The
increase in production of Garpiya as well as the new intermediaries
supplying parts for the drones are reported by Reuters for the first
time...
In
a statement to Reuters, China's foreign ministry said it was unaware of
the export of parts for the Garpiya and it has controlled foreign sales
of dual-use goods in line with China's own laws and international
obligations.
"China
has always opposed unilateral sanctions that lack basis in
international law and are not authorized by the U.N. Security Council,"
the statement said...
The Garpiya, which means harpy in Russian, is based on the Iranian-made
Shahed drones but relies on Chinese technology, the three European
sources said. The Ukrainian military intelligence agency said the
Chinese-made components in the drone included the engine, control
systems, and navigation equipment.
A
contract for LIBSS to supply Kupol with the engines, reviewed by
Reuters, stated they would be described as cooling units in shipping
documents because of their sensitivity. The delivery route was from
Beijing to Moscow then to Izhevsk, where Kupol has manufacturing
facilities.
Describing
them as cooling units allowed the goods to be exported to Russia
without alerting Chinese authorities, the three security officials said..."
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