China’s export restrictions on key components for unmanned aerial vehicles are making it difficult for Moscow to produce military drones, potentially hampering Vladimir Putin’s war efforts in Ukraine, Russian state media reported.
The Kremlin-linked newspaper said the new rules implemented by China earlier this month “have greatly complicated the delivery of drones to Russia and led to shortages of many parts such as thermal imagers” Kommersant reported on Monday.
In late August, the Chinese government said it would impose export controls on some drones and related parts. The Chinese government said the measures would affect some communications equipment, engines and lasers used by drones, and counter-drone systems.
The restrictions would also affect consumer drones used for military purposes and drones with flight times longer than 30 minutes, according to reports at the time.
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China, one of the world’s largest drone producers, has remained neutral in the ongoing war in Ukraine while maintaining friendly diplomatic relations with Moscow.
Experts previously said drones were developing at “lightning speed” as the conflict entered its 19th month Weekly newspaper. Various types of drones, including reconnaissance vehicles and attack vehicles, were widely deployed by both sides throughout the war.
Ukraine is notorious for its first-person combat footage, high-profile airstrikes on Russian territory and naval drone strikes on Russian targets in Crimea.
“After the war, Ukraine will have unique experience and the opportunity to become a major exporter of drones [unmanned aerial vehicles] Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, said: Weekly newspaper Early August.
Moscow frequently uses drones, most notoriously using the Iranian-designed Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones to carry out “kamikaze” attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Samuel Bentet of the U.S. Center for Naval Analyses said Beijing’s ban on large drones and some components needed for unmanned technology “is now a hot topic among Russian ministries and organizations involved in Moscow’s drone program.” .
“The real impact of this ban on the Russian market mainly boils down to increased prices for existing and available Chinese drones and their components in Russia,” Bendt said. Weekly newspaper on Monday. He said that in the long term, Russia’s domestic drone industry may step in and replace China’s imported drones.
China’s ban does not currently affect “small DJI-type drones,” he added, referring to one of China’s most prominent commercial drone giants.
However, Bendt said this could affect the import of larger, heavier agricultural drones used by Russia in Ukraine. He added: “The lack of certain parts can have a big impact, but the Russians have many alternative supply routes, legal and gray schemes to procure what they need.”
Many of Russia’s largest drone manufacturers have managed to stockpile “large quantities” of drone parts, Kommersant the report said.
Weekly newspaper The Russian Defense Ministry was contacted for comment via email.
