China Restricts Drone Supplies Critical to Ukraine’s Defense

Chinese manufacturers have started to restrict sales of key components used to build drones to the US and EU.

As 80% of the commercial drone market is currently controlled by China, Ukraine, which relies heavily on the use of drones in the war, is likely to suffer.

This restriction precedes the broader export controls on drone parts China is expected to enforce in the coming year. Beginning in 2025, Chinese companies will be obligated to notify authorities of their shipment plans and provide licensing approvals based on the intended use of the components they sell.

Chinese producers of motors, batteries, and flight controllers—critical components for drones—have already reduced shipments or halted them entirely. This has led component prices to soar and Western drone manufacturers to search for alternative suppliers to maintain their production capacity.

These developments come amid heightened trade tensions between the US and Beijing. In December, the US imposed new restrictions on the sale of high-bandwidth memory chips and semiconductor equipment to China, whereas China banned the sale of dual-use items to the US military and certain high-tech materials with military applications to American companies.

The new restrictions will extend China’s trade controls beyond its borders. For the first time, restrictions will apply not only to goods produced in China but also to Chinese-made components sold through third-party vendors abroad.

Russia, however, despite Western sanctions, has been increasingly sourcing its weapons components from China. Around 60% of the foreign components found in Russian weapons and used on the Ukrainian battlefield are sourced through China.