China plans to start large-scale production of “kamikaze” attack drones for the Russian army for possible use in Ukraine, according to the German weekly “Der Spiegel” published on Friday.
Negotiations to this end have been initiated between Russian military officials and Chinese drone manufacturer Xi’an Bingo Intelligent Aviation Technology, the newspaper said, without citing a source.
Bingo reportedly said it was ready to initially produce 100 ZT-180 type drones, test them and deliver them by next April to the Russian Ministry of Defence.
This drone model is similar to Shahed 136 drones made in Iran, according to military experts interviewed by the newspaper, and can carry an explosive charge of 35 to 50 kilograms.
In a second step, the Chinese manufacturer, controlled by the Chinese army, plans to transfer components and its know-how to Russia so that production of drones can begin locally, says Spiegel.
This could then allow Moscow to produce 100 such drones per month on its own, he adds.
Questioned by the Spiegel, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not react directly to the information of the newspaper but estimated that “the United States is the main source of armament for the battlefield in Ukraine”.
“But they say at regular intervals that China could deliver weapons to Russia. It is a well-known manoeuvre,” a ministry spokesperson said in a statement sent by the Chinese Embassy in Germany.
The United States this week accused China of considering supplying arms to Russia to support its offensive in Ukraine, which Beijing denies. And German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Thursday evening not to have “illusions” about China in the Ukrainian conflict, stressing that she had never to date criticized the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.