The Biden administration is concerned about allegations that Russia has a previously undisclosed drone manufacturing agreement with a company for unmanned aerial vehicles to be built in China.
Almaz-Antey is a Russian state-owned weapons company, and a subsidiary of it, IEMZ Kupol, has developed and tested a new drone model called the Garpiya-3, or G3, in China, according to Reuters.
Kupol reportedly told the Russian Defense Ministry that it could manufacture the drones in China, including the new G3, so that they could be deployed for use in Ukraine.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council said they had not seen evidence to suggest the Chinese government was involved in or aware of these alleged transactions, “However, the PRC government also has a responsibility to ensure its companies are not providing lethal assistance,” the spokesperson told Reuters.
Dating back to the early stages of the war, the United States has warned Russian allies against providing Russia with weapons for use in the war in Ukraine.
The two countries that have aided Russia most militarily are North Korea and Iran, while U.S. officials have expressed concern that Chinese companies, somewhat independent of the government, could be providing assistance to Russia.
“What we are concerned about is private companies in China that may be providing assistance, in some cases dual use, in some cases clearly directed at enhancing Russia’s military capacity in Ukraine,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during his June trip to Beijing. “That is a concern, and it’s something that I pointed out to our Chinese counterparts and urged that they be vigilant in policing that.”
Iran has provided Russia with hundreds of drones for use in Ukraine as the two countries have significantly deepened their military ties over the course of the war.
The report of the secret China-based drone factory for Russia comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in New York for the annual U.N. General Assembly.
In his address to global leaders, Zelensky warned that Russia could be preparing to attack Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, which could pose a threat to much of the European continent.
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“Putin seems to be planning attacks on our nuclear power plants and the infrastructure, aiming to disconnect the plants from the power grid,” he said, adding that Moscow was using satellites to gather images of Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure.
Zelensky has repeatedly urged the U.S. and other allies to lift the restrictions they have placed on how Ukrainian forces use the weapons the allies provide, but the U.S. has continued to enforce those regulations.