Two European security officials and documents obtained by Reuters reveal that since the second quarter of 2024, Chinese drone experts have visited the Russian arms dealer IEMZ Kupol at least six times, participating in the testing and development of military drones.
During the same period, Kupol reportedly received over a dozen suicide attack drones produced by Sichuan AEE, a Chinese company, through the sanctioned Russian procurement entity TSK Vektor.
According to the European officials, the small-scale delivery of Chinese attack drones and the involvement of Chinese experts may indicate Kupol’s intention to produce new types of drones. These drones could potentially be used in attacks on Ukraine, drawing more international attention to the military cooperation between China and Russia.
Documents such as commercial invoices and billing records indicate that Sichuan AEE supplied suicide drones like A140 and A900 to TSK Vektor last year, with plans to deliver models such as A60, A100, and A200 in the future.
Previous reports have suggested that Kupol had produced thousands of Garpiya-3 long-range attack drones using Chinese components.
The Garpiya-3 design is said to have been inspired by Iran’s Shahed suicide drones, capable of flying hundreds of miles along preset flight paths and detonating upon impact. Reports claim that around 500 of these drones are deployed in the Ukrainian battlefield each month.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, Kupol conducted flight tests of A60, A100, and A200 drones at the Chebarkul military test site in Chelyabinsk, Russia. Chinese experts reportedly assisted in assembling the drones at Kupol’s facility in Izhevsk and training Russian staff before participating in the tests at Chebarkul.
Flight booking records show that the Chinese experts departed from Chelyabinsk the day after the tests.
Letters and flight reports described the Chinese experts as employees of TSK Vektor, the Russian procurement company. However, European officials believe these individuals are actually employees of AEE.
Another document revealed that Kupol and TSK Vektor tested the HW52V drone manufactured by the Chinese company Hunan Haotianyi, which is capable of vertical takeoff for reconnaissance or offensive purposes.
In the second quarter of 2025, AEE billed TSK Vektor over 5 million Chinese yuan (approximately $700,000) for several A200 drones equipped with anti-jamming devices and other items.
Furthermore, a letter described the visit of the same group of Chinese experts in the third quarter of 2025, stating they would also be involved in the work related to a new drone model, GA-21.
European officials assess that the GA-21 is a version of Iran’s Shahed-107 drone, usable for reconnaissance or as an attack drone.
The Epoch Times was unable to independently verify the claims about Chinese experts assisting in drone development in Russia.
Samuel Bendett, a part-time senior research analyst at the Washington think tank CNAS, stated that China has become a crucial part of Russia’s military supply chain.
Bendett said, “Chinese components play a critical role in Russian military systems, especially in aerial drones, and have had a significant impact.”
(This article was adapted from relevant reports by Reuters)