Ekaterina Girnyk16:00, 25.09.24

The Harpy-3 UAV can cover about 2,000 km with a payload of 50 kg.

Russia has launched a weapons program in China to develop and produce long-range attack drones for use in the war against Ukraine, Reuters reports , citing European intelligence sources and documents they provided.

For example, one report said that IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of the Russian state-owned arms company Almaz-Antey, developed and flight-tested a new drone model called the Harpia-3 (G3) in China with the help of local experts. And in subsequent reports, Kupol told the Defense Ministry that it had been able to set up large-scale production of drones, including the G3, at a plant in China.

According to Kupol reports, the G3 can travel about 2,000 km with a payload of 50 kg, Reuters reports. According to invoices, seven Chinese-made drone models, including two G3s, have already been delivered to Russia for further testing with Chinese experts.

At the same time, Kupol’s reports to the Russian Defense Ministry did not indicate the exact location of objects associated with the project. Reuters was also unable to determine whether the Defense Ministry had given the company the green light to mass-produce the UAVs.

China’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters it was not aware of such a project, adding that the country has strict controls on drone exports.

Chinese technology in the war in Ukraine

Earlier it was reported that Russia was purchasing hundreds of Chinese all-terrain vehicles for the war in Ukraine. As noted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Russians are using these small, maneuverable vehicles to deliver personnel through minefields to the battlefield.

It also recently became known that Russian occupiers have begun using  Chinese ZFB-05 armored vehicles in the war in Ukraine .

(C)UNIAN 2024