As the Ukraine conflict continues, there are increasing signs of quiet Chinese support for Russia’s war effort.
Amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict, Ukrainian and Russian forces are using unmanned aerial systems on a scale never before seen in warfare. Thousands of drones of all sizes hum above the battlefield in eastern Ukraine on a daily basis.
These drones are of diverse origins. Many are manufactured domestically by both Ukraine and Russia, and foreign partners of the two combatants have also transferred tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of drones to the two sides every year. Russia has primarily received its drone assistance from Iran, whose Shahed kamikaze drones formed the basis for Russia’s domestically-manufactured Geran-2. However, a recent Ukrainian discovery on the battlefield came with an interesting twist.
According to Ukrainian drone analysts, a Russian unmanned aerial system recovered by the Ukrainian forces appears to have originated in China.
Ukrainian forces recently shot down a Russian Gerbera drone, a cheaper variant of the Shahed/Geran drone. Upon examination by Ukrainian analysts, the drone contained aerial footage of Shenzhen, a major Chinese city, within its memory.
According to Cyber Boroshno, a Ukrainian open-source intelligence group that specializes in geolocation, the footage suggests that it was most likely filmed from Shenzhen’s Aote Kexing Science Park, a high-rise office complex along the Beihuan main road.
“A video from the ‘Herbera’ UAV was published online, showing a test of the camera in China. The camera is the A40 Pro model manufactured by Viewpro. According to the manufacturer’s website, production is located in Shenzhen, at the Aotexing Science Park (Nanshan District). The footage was recorded from that location,” the Ukrainian open-source intelligence group wrote on X, providing a set of geocoordinates from the location.
Open-source intelligence relies on information that is not classified; most of the time, that information is also publicly available. Geolocation is the science (and art) of pinpointing a location anywhere in the world based on available metadata.
“Although the address provided on the website does not display correctly in Google Maps, after translating it into Chinese and verifying it via Baidu, we confirmed the geolocation with 100% certainty,” Cyber Boroshno added.
Why Do “Russian” Drones Have Chinese Data in Them?
It is no secret that the Russian war effort in Ukraine relies heavily on foreign assistance. Despite the international outcry over Russia’s invasion, certain states have been supplying weapon systems, munitions, and other parts to the Russian military.
Beijing has tried to maintain a neutral stance in the conflict. The Chinese Communist Party is generally quite close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government—as seen by Vladimir Putin’s appearance at a major Chinese military parade in Beijing on Wednesday. But China aspires to a global role, and has shied away from openly supporting Russia’s blatantly illegal invasion of Ukraine out of a desire to avoid losing face in international fora.
Still, there are increasing signs of quiet Chinese support for Russia’s war effort. Back in January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian forces had found anti-jamming technology of Chinese origin on Russian Shahed unmanned aerial systems launched against Ukrainian urban centers.
Later, in April, Ukrainian forces captured two Chinese nationals fighting for the Russian military. Although the incident did not suggest widespread service of Chinese troops in the Russian forces, it heightened Kyiv’s concerns over Beijing’s involvement in the conflict.
In July, Kyiv sanctioned 53 individuals and entities, some of which were Chinese, accused of supporting the Russian defense and aerospace industry. Beijing threatened retaliation over the sanctions. That same month, reports surfaced suggesting that Chinese companies have been covertly shipping engines to Russian defense companies by labeling them as “industrial refrigeration units.”
Thus far, China has walked a fine line regarding the war in Ukraine. It has not overtly supported Russia. But it increasingly appears that Beijing does not mind if Chinese military hardware ends up in Russian hands.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / Anelo.
