Chinese drone experts worked with sanctioned Russian arms maker, sources say

Chinese drone experts have flown to Russia to conduct technical development work on military drones at a state-owned weapons manufacturer that is under Western sanctions, according to two European security officials and documents. The Chinese experts have visited arms maker IEMZ Kupol on more than half a dozen occasions since the second quarter of last year. During that time, Kupol also received shipments of Chinese-made attack and surveillance drones via a Russian intermediary, according to the documents and two officials. In September last year, it was documented that Kupol had developed a new drone, the Garpiya-3, in China with the help of local specialists, with specific details of the extensive involvement of Chinese experts in tests and technological work on military-use drones inside Russia now being reported for the first time. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.