"Neutral" China supplies Russia with armaments – The Telegraph

China is supplying Russia with helicopters, drones, optical sights and metals used in the defence industry.

Source: investigation by The Telegraph

Details: The newspaper writes that Russian companies, including those under sanctions, which produce rocket launchers, armoured vehicles and fighter jets received tens of thousands of shipments from China within the period from the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the first quarter of 2023.

"It comes as China, which insists it remains neutral, is attempting to position itself as a key peace-broker in talks aimed at ending the conflict," the investigation reports.

The Telegraph states that one of Chinese companies sent 1,000 drones to Russia two months before the beginning of the war. This company, Shantou Honghu Plastics, positions itself as a toy wholesaler.

The drones were sent to the Russian company Samson, which also describes itself as a games and toy wholesaler and appears to be a shell company, as according to the state register of companies, its authorised capital is only 10,000 roubles.

Moreover, four days after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine a Chinese company Hems999 supplied Russia with two helicopters. Another Chinese company, Tianjin Huarong Aviation, has provided four Airbus helicopters for Russia since the beginning of the war.

All of the supplies were received by the Russian company Ural Helicopter, whose main customer is the Russian National Guard, which has been deployed in Ukraine and is headed by Viktor Zolotov, a former Putin bodyguard.

The newspaper also notes that Chinese companies have also shipped optical sights to more than 50 Russian firms from the start of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023. Last year, imports of these products almost doubled to US$2.5 million, compared to the previous year.

The research conducted by Molfar shows that Chinese exports of turbojets and radar missile navigation systems have also been shipped via India and Costa Rica and then re-exported to Russia, apparently in an attempt to circumvent sanctions.

The trade data shows that Russia’s imports of raw materials and components essential for weapons production have increased dramatically.

In 2022 China exported US$18 million worth of titanium alloy products to Russia, almost twice as much as the year before.

In addition, the newspaper notes, Chinese companies also supplied magnesium alloys to Tupolev, which builds and helps maintain long-range bombers such as the Tu-95 and Tu-160M, which are used in cruise missile attacks on Ukraine.

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