Secret Russian-Chinese drone project revealed to impact Ukraine war

Reuters, citing two sources from a European intelligence agency, reported that Russia is implementing a secret programme in China to design and produce long-range assault drones. These machines are intended for use in the war with Ukraine. What will be their capabilities?

The company IEMZ Kupol, a part of the Russian defence conglomerate Almaz-Antey, has already conducted a test of the new Garpija-3 (G3) drone in China in collaboration with Chinese specialists. This information is contained in a document sent by Kupol to the Russian Ministry of Defence in 2024. In another report, Kupol declared that it is capable of mass-producing drones, including the G3 model, which can be used in the war with Ukraine, referred to by Russians as a "special military operation."

The G3 drones are long-range unmanned vehicles that can travel about 2,000 kilometres. Significantly, they can carry a payload weighing as much as 50 kilograms.

Fabian Hinz from the London-based think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) noted that if the information about the production of Russian drones in China is confirmed, it will be an important circumstance.

"If you look at what China is known to have delivered so far, it was mostly dual-use goods - it was components, sub-components, that could be used in weapon systems. This is what has been reported so far. But what we haven't really seen, at least in the open source, are documented transfers of whole weapon systems," Hinz said, quoted by Reuters.

Kupol, Almaz-Antey, and the Russian Ministry of Defence did not comment on the request for a statement. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it was not aware of such a project and emphasised its strict drone export control procedures.

According to documents seen by Reuters, IEMZ Kupol received seven military drones produced in China, including the G3, at its headquarters in Izhevsk.

The company's reports did not specify the exact locations related to the project. However, they informes that the Chinese plant would be able to produce REM 1 assault drones with a 400-kilogram payload within eight months at the latest. According to two sources from Reuters, these systems will resemble the American Reaper drone. It is a machine about 11 metres long and can reach speeds over 400 kilometres per hour.

The Russian defence company TSK Vektor was supposed to act as an intermediary between Kupol and the Chinese suppliers involved in this project. Another document seen by Reuters indicates that Kupol, TSK Vektor, and the Chinese company Redlepus TSK Vector Industrial plan to establish a joint drone research centre in the special economic zone of Kashgar in Xinjiang Province. The base, covering an area of 80 hectares, could produce 800 drones annually.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, reported in September this year that the Russian military received about 140,000 drones in 2023, and the authorities plan to increase this number tenfold in the current year.