Russia produces new "Garpiya-A1" kamikaze drone with Chinese engines - Reuters
Russia began production of a new long-range strike drone called "Garpiya-A1" last year using Chinese engines and parts that it used in the war against Ukraine.
Reuters writes about this, citing sources from the European intelligence agency and relevant documents, Censor.NET reports.
The intelligence, which includes a contract for the production of a new drone, company correspondence on the production process, and financial documents, indicates that "Kupol" IEMZ, a subsidiary of the Russian state-owned arms manufacturer "Almaz-Antey", produced more than 2,500 "Harpies" from July 2023 to July 2024.
The existence of a new Russian drone using Chinese technology has not been previously reported.
Two intelligence sources told the agency that "Garpiya-A1" is being used against military and civilian targets in Ukraine, causing damage to critical infrastructure and resulting in civilian and military casualties.
They provided Reuters with what they claimed were images from Ukraine of the wreckage of "Garpiya", without providing further details. Reuters has found information that supports this conclusion, but has not been able to confirm the images independently.
The Russian Ministry of Defence did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.
However, China's Foreign Ministry told Reuters that Beijing strictly controls the export of goods with potential military applications, including drones.
"With regard to the Ukrainian crisis, China has always been committed to promoting peace talks and a political settlement," the statement said. The statement also notes that there are no international restrictions on China's trade with Russia.
