Reuters reported on the 25th (local time) that Russia has established a program to develop and produce offensive long-range drones in China for deployment in the Ukraine war.
According to the report, 'IEMZ Kupol,' a subsidiary of the Russian state-owned defense company Almaz-Antey, developed a new drone named 'Garpya-3' (G3) in China with the help of local Chinese experts and completed test flights, which was reported to the Russian Ministry of Defense earlier this year.
Afterwards, Kupol stated in a follow-up report submitted to the Ministry of Defense that offensive drones including the G3 could be mass-produced at a factory in China for deployment in the Ukraine war, Reuters said.
Kupol, Almaz-Antey, and the Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to requests for comment regarding the documents.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Reuters that it was unaware of the project and that Chinese authorities strictly control drone exports. According to the report submitted by Kupol to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the G3 drone can carry a payload of up to 50 kg and fly approximately 2,000 km.
In the report, Kupol stated that several drone samples including the G3 were manufactured in China and brought into Russia, with assistance from Chinese experts during the process.
According to a separate document confirmed by Reuters, Kupol produced a total of seven military drones in China, including two G3 units, and transported them to its headquarters in Izhevsk, Russia.
Multiple European intelligence sources told Reuters that the document detailing the shipment is the first concrete evidence confirming the delivery of completed drones from China to Russia.
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