Russia Deploys Drone Made with 100% Chinese Components, Intelligence Reveals
Ukrainian intelligence has revealed for the first time that Russia is using a decoy drone, built entirely from Chinese components, to spoof Ukrainian air defences.
The Gaze writes on this, referring to The Telegraph.
Although Chinese technology has previously been found in Russian weapons alongside components from other countries, the current case indicates a deepening of cooperation between Beijing and Moscow, despite Xi Jinping's statements about the absence of lethal aid supplies in the war against Ukraine.
It is reported that Ukrainian intelligence managed to seize two new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and dismantle them.
The UAV CBTS.611000 drone is mainly used for reconnaissance and as a decoy, but it can carry a warhead weighing up to 15 kg. About half of the parts for one of the devices were manufactured by CUAV Technology, based in Guangdong, China.
Although in 2022 the company announced restrictions on exports to Russia and Ukraine, its products have already been found in Russian drones. In particular, in 2023, Moscow used a vertical take-off drone with CUAV Technology components purchased through AliExpress.
Ukrainian intelligence reported that, besides components from CUAV Technology, the Chinese-made drones included an engine and electronic ignition module from Mile Haoxiang Technology, an FPV camera from Foxeer Technology, and a Chinese replica of the Australian RFD900X data transmission module by RFDesign.
“This system enables the creation of a data transmission channel from the UAV to its ground station or between UAVs, thereby enhancing its reconnaissance capabilities,” informed Ukraine’s intelligence service.
Previously, it was reported that about 80% of the electronics in Russian drones come from China, although Beijing has denied supplying weapons.
As The Gaze informed earlier, Chinese engines are secretly being supplied to a Russian state-owned arms manufacturer disguised as “industrial refrigeration units,” enabling Moscow to significantly increase drone production.