Russia is partnering with China to develop attack drones and establish a drone manufacturing facility in China.
Reuters reported that the Russian military is developing long-range attack drones to use in the war against Ukraine and that they have established the program in China for production.
The report reveals that Russia has developed a new drone named G3 in cooperation with China. Russia’s state-owned arms company, Kalashnikov, has completed test flights for the G3. The company informed the Russian Ministry of Defense that they are prepared to mass-produce these drones in China, including the G3, for use in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Reuters requested a comment from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, but the ministry responded that they were “unaware” of the situation.
The White House expressed deep, significant concern, urging the Chinese government to prevent its companies from providing lethal weapons to the Russian military. A U.S. spokesperson stressed that China must ensure its business does not support Russia’s military operations.
NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu also criticized the situation, warning that China’s involvement in escalating conflicts in Europe could damage its own interests and reputation.
According to Reuters, the attack drones Russia is pushing to produce in China can carry 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of armament and fly as far as 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles).
This follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on September 19th about the country’s plans to scale up its drone acquisitions massively. During his visit to the Special Technology Center in St. Petersburg, Putin stated that the Russian military will acquire 1.4 million drones this year, ten times more than last year.
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