Ekaterina Girnyk13:00, 21.01.26

Chinese suppliers resort to various tricks to ensure that Ukrainians and Russians do not cross paths during factory visits.

Both Russia and Ukraine are actively expanding their drone production capacity, primarily using Chinese-made components , which are three times cheaper than their Western counterparts. Moreover, as the Financial Times reports , they often purchase processors, cameras, and motors from the same Chinese suppliers, miraculously avoiding any overlap during their visits to Chinese factories.

Thus, Alexander Yakovenko, founder of one of the largest drone manufacturers in Ukraine, TAF Industries, told the publication that during his numerous visits to factories in southern China, he noticed that their managers were increasingly planning his arrival and departure down to the minute and second.

Sometimes they asked him to wait nearby for a while, led him through side doors, along service corridors or into empty conference rooms, the FT writes.

It took Yakovenko some time to understand why his whizzes demanded such opaque rituals of schedule manipulation and extreme punctuality. Everything was done to ensure he didn’t cross paths with the Russians who were also visiting the plant.

“Our suppliers make an effort to manage Ukrainian and Russian clients. They try to ensure that we don’t end up at the same plant at the same time. They invite us at one time and the Russians at another. So, as soon as the Russians leave, the Ukrainians arrive.”

Technological innovations are received by both sides simultaneously

“We can see a new video transmitter on Russian drones and immediately understand which Chinese company manufactured it,” says Alexey Babenko of Vyriy Drone, a drone supplier to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. “Then we write to them. Of course, they say, ‘No, it’s not ours.’ But we ask again, and they say, ‘Okay, we can sell it to you, too.'”

The same process works in reverse, he adds:

“We ask them to produce something specific for us, and a week later they send samples to Russia and start producing the same thing for them.”

Yakovenko notes that TAF engineers are often forced to improvise due to a shortage of spare parts, but their rivals on the other side of the trenches are suspiciously well-equipped with Chinese technology.

Officially, China maintains a neutral stance in the conflict and has banned the export of sensitive drone technology to both Russia and Ukraine. However, Western intelligence sources and Ukrainian politicians accuse the Chinese government of biasing its position in Russia’s favor, even allowing Russian companies to purchase entire production lines for relocation to Russia.

 Ukraine is working to localize drone production, but according to Yakovenko, it still relies on China for approximately 85% of the components that go into simple FPV drones, which are often used for kamikaze attacks.

(c)UNIAN 2026