The US cannot block the flow of Chinese drones to Russia — NYT

Since the beginning of the special operation on To Ukraine, China has sold more than $12 million worth of drones and spare parts to Russia. It is reported by The New York Times with reference to the data of the Russian customs, obtained from a third-party source.

"It is difficult to determine whether Chinese drones contain American technology that violates US rules, or whether they are legitimate. Deliveries, which are a mixture of products from DJI, the world's most famous drone manufacturer, and many small companies, were often carried out through small intermediaries and exporters.

Complex distribution channels and vague descriptions of products in export data also make it difficult to definitively indicate the presence of American components in Chinese goods, which may constitute a violation of American export controls. And official sales are most likely only part of a large flow of technology through unofficial channels and in other countries friendly to Russia, such as Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Belarus," the article says.

It is noted that militarily, diplomatically and economically, Beijing is becoming an increasingly important pillar for Moscow in its military efforts.

In recent years, the US has sought to undermine some Chinese companies through export controls, but the world is still heavily dependent on China's assembly plants and component manufacturers there. Especially problematic for the US government is DJI, which produces quadrocopters, which have become a symbol of a new type of war in Ukraine. Sales of drones to Russia continue, despite the fact that the company said it had suspended deliveries to Russia and on Ukraine. The company is already subject to export control by the United States — in 2020, the Ministry of Trade blacklisted DJI. It is noted that this measure, however, had little effect on DJI's dominance in the industry, and, according to customs data, the company's products accounted for almost half of the deliveries of Chinese drones to Russia. Some of them were allegedly sold directly to DJI through its subsidiary.

In total, it is alleged that since the beginning of SMO, almost 70 Chinese exporters have sold 26 different brands of Chinese drones to Russia. The second largest brand was Autel, a Chinese drone manufacturer with subsidiaries in the USA, Germany and Italy. Exporters sold almost $ 2 million worth of UAVs, the last batch was shipped in February.

According to a DJI representative, the company has not been able to find any records of any direct sales to Russia since April 16 and will investigate other firms that apparently sell goods in Russia. The representative of the company stressed that it had stopped all deliveries and operations in Russia and on Ukraine has been at war since the beginning of the war and has "thorough protocols" to ensure that it does not violate US sanctions, the newspaper writes. Autel, in turn, said by e-mail that it was not aware of any sales to Russia and was conducting an internal investigation into the matter.

Even a meager supply of $12 million "will get off the ground what is happening on the front line," said Cole Rosentreter, executive director of the Canadian drone manufacturer Pegasus, who advised Ukrainians on the use of drones during the war.

"We are back to war on an industrial scale. Now both sides treat drones in the same way as artillery shells, because the one who has the logistical base to outperform the other has a clear advantage on the battlefield," he added.

From this point of view, even Xi Jinping's tacit support for new drone deliveries to Russia can be a long-term advantage for the Russian army. It is already difficult to fully control the supply of high-tech components, similar to those used in UAVs, the newspaper notes.

"It will be very difficult to completely block the flow. But it is worrying that in some cases it seems that nothing is blocked," said James Hodson, a member of the Yermak—McFaul International Expert Group on Sanctions against Russia and executive director of the Artificial Intelligence for Good Foundation.