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China Behind 80% of Electronics in Russian Drones, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Reveals
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
China is providing gunpowder, specialized chemicals, machinery, and components directly to at least 20 Russian defense plants, according to Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, in an interview with Ukrinform on May 25.
“There is information that China is supplying machinery, specialty chemicals, gunpowder, and components specifically to military-designated facilities. We have confirmed data on 20 Russian plants,” Ivashchenko stated.
He also revealed that between 2024 and 2025, Ukrainian intelligence recorded at least five instances of aviation-related cooperation between China and Russia.
These included deliveries of equipment, spare parts, and technical documentation. In six separate cases, large shipments of specialty chemicals were documented.
According to Ivashchenko, as of early 2025, around 80% of the critical electronics used in Russian drones are of Chinese origin.
He added that Chinese firms are masking the true nature of shipments through intermediary companies, false labeling, and proxy networks to discreetly funnel the microelectronics Russia needs to sustain and expand its military production.
Earlier, China launched six satellites for Spacety, a company previously sanctioned by the US for supplying satellite imagery to the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization.
The launch took place on May 17 using the Zhuque-2E rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
