China’s silent role in Russia’s drone offensive: Covert tech ties, sanctions evasion and battlefield arms race

This photograph shows an agricultural drone transformed into a delivery vehicle for the front line, flying over a field during a demonstration for AFP, at an undisclosed location not far from the front line, in the region of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, on June 14, 2025, amid the russian invasion of Ukraine.

As Russia’s drone warfare in Ukraine intensifies, mounting evidence points to a far deeper and more deliberate Chinese role in bolstering Moscow’s unmanned aerial capabilities than Beijing officially acknowledges.

Despite China’s claims of neutrality, internal documents, official statements, and intelligence assessments, accessed and reported by Bloomberg and Politico, paint a picture of systematic support: from supplying critical components to enabling joint ventures that now fuel Russia’s rapidly expanding drone fleet.

Russian drone surge: Fuelled by Chinese components

At the centre of this burgeoning military-industrial network is Aero-HIT, a Russian company based in Khabarovsk near the Chinese border. Once obscure, Aero-HIT has, in the last three years, become a key supplier of drones to Russian forces, including units deployed in occupied Ukrainian territories like Kherson.

According to internal memos from late 2022 to mid-2025, as cited by Bloomberg, Aero-HIT has scaled up its operations dramatically by sourcing parts, technological expertise, and production support from Chinese entities. These include blacklisted suppliers such as Shenzhen Huasheng Industry and Renovatsio-Invest, used to circumvent export bans.

Despite being sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2023, Aero-HIT reportedly maintained a steady flow of Chinese parts by disguising military shipments through civilian companies. One notable example involves Aeromar-DV, an airline catering contractor, which placed an order for 100 Veles FPV drones – Aero-HIT’s frontline drone platform – on behalf of a Russian military unit.

Corporate filings link Aero-HIT to Komax, a firm led by Konstantin Basyuk, a former intelligence officer and sanctioned official for his role in the occupation of Kherson.

Russia-China tech bridge: Drones via academia and industry

The surge in Russia’s drone capabilities can also be traced to its deeper academic and industrial ties with China.

A drone production venture was first proposed in 2022 between Komax, the Harbin Comprehensive Bonded Zone, and the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT)—a top Chinese engineering university under U.S. sanctions for its involvement in military tech.

In May 2023, a Russian delegation toured multiple Chinese research institutions and drone firms, including HIT. Backing soon came from Yury Trutnev, Russia’s presidential envoy to the Far East, who offered customs exemptions for Chinese imports.

Even when some Chinese suppliers withdrew due to increased export scrutiny in mid-2023, others stepped in. By the end of that year, Russia was reportedly producing 300 drones monthly, and that number has continued to climb.

Of particular concern is Aero-HIT’s covert cooperation with Autel Robotics, a Chinese drone manufacturer. While Autel denies formal involvement and claims to have ceased Russian operations in 2022, Bloomberg claims to have accessed documents showing collaboration on producing the Autel EVO Max 4T, a civilian drone adapted for battlefield use. As of 2025, the target was 30,000 units annually.

Aero-HIT also received Kremlin support during a pro-business forum amid Russia’s 2024 presidential campaign. While domestic innovation was touted, Chinese backing was conspicuously absent from public remarks.

Ukraine’s drone advantage under threat

Ukraine, once a global leader in drone warfare, is now being matched by a resurgent Russian drone sector, largely enabled by Chinese support.

In 2024 alone, Ukraine produced nearly 1 million tactical drones, with ambitions to hit 2.5 million in 2025. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in May 2025 that Ukrainian drones had destroyed 89,000 Russian targets.

“80 percent of the damage to Russia’s equipment and personnel has been done with drones,” said Pavlo Palisa, former commander and now deputy head of Zelenskyy’s office.

However, Russia is catching up. According to Zelenskyy, Russian drone production has climbed to 300 units per day and may soon hit 500, dwarfing Ukraine’s long-range drone output of 100 units daily.

That expansion is due in large part to China’s silent partnership. “Chinese manufacturers provide them with hardware, electronics, navigation, optical and telemetry systems, engines, microcircuits, processor modules, antenna field systems, control boards, navigation,” said Oleh Aleksandrov, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, in comments to Politico. “Yet officially, China sticks to all the rules. Yet only officially.”