China has become Russia’s largest supplier and could transfer lethal weapons - The Economist
China has probably become the main supplier for the Russian military machine.
The Economist writes about this, Censor.NET reports.
As an example, the publication cites "Shahed" attack drones. These drones were once filled with American microelectronics that were smuggled through Asia to circumvent sanctions. However, the latest ones are equipped with Chinese parts.
According to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, these drones have Chinese-made antennas. One instance contained only two American components out of 15.
"Since the start of the war in 2022, China has been cautious in providing military assistance to Russia. According to Ukrainian and European officials, it has rejected some Russian requests for assistance and equipment. China has avoided large-scale shipments of off-the-shelf munitions or lethal weapons that could trigger US or European sanctions; it does not want the international condemnation that would result if too many of its weapons appeared on the battlefield. But there are signs that China is approaching that line - and may have crossed it," the article says.
Western officials told the publication that China has been providing Russia with various types of assistance since 2023, including critical weapons components and civilian drones. At the same time, these officials also pointed to "a small amount of artillery ammunition and military drones".
There has been no public evidence of artillery ammunition transfers from China so far. In early 2023, Beijing considered supplying Russia with a batch of 122mm and 152mm shells, but there is no indication that it did so on a large scale.
Later that year, Ukrainian forces discovered Chinese-made mortar shells near Melitopol. However, it is unclear whether these supplies came directly from China or via third countries.
"In practice, Chinese weapons are much less vital to Russia than Chinese components and tools," the authors note.
