Marta Gichko09:46, 20.02.26
After 2022, drone exports from Thailand to Russia increased sharply and almost completely coincided with the growth in drone imports from China.
Thailand has become a new key route for Chinese drones to Russia after Western sanctions were imposed, according to an analysis of trade data published by Bloomberg .
In the first 11 months of 2025, Russia imported $125 million worth of drones from Thailand, accounting for 88% of all Thai drone exports and eight times more than a year earlier. Meanwhile, China shipped $186 million worth of drones to Thailand during the same period, accounting for almost all of the country’s drone imports.
The increase in supplies began after the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. If then Thailand exported drones worth less than $1 million and none reached Russia, now the country has actually become a transshipment point for the Russian market.
Intermediary companies and sanctions
One of the largest importers of drones from China to Thailand is Skyhub Technologies. According to the trading platform Big Trade Data, in 2025 the company imported drones worth $25 million, in particular from the Chinese manufacturer Autel Robotics. Among the deliveries are hundreds of EVO Max 4T models, which are formally positioned as civilian, but, according to journalists, are also used in combat conditions.
Autel said it does not cooperate with Russian military structures and has a system for complying with international sanctions. The company emphasizes that its drones are equipped with geofencing that blocks flights in the zone of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
An even bigger player in the trade is China Thai Corp., which imported $144 million worth of drones from China in 2025. It was sanctioned by the UK in October for supplying technology to the Russian military. The firm later changed its name to Lanto Global Logistics.
Sanctions evasion and “third countries”
According to Maria Shagina from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the scheme involving third countries is a typical method of circumventing sanctions.
“Countries may change, but methods do not: redirection through third countries using shell companies,” she noted.
The US State Department has said that China provides about 80% of the dual-use components that Russia uses in the war. Beijing officially denies providing military support to Moscow.
Growing ties with Russia
Despite sanctions pressure, economic ties between Thailand and Russia are strengthening. A record 1.9 million Russian tourists visited the country last year, and Russian citizens are actively investing in Thai real estate. Moscow is also opening a cultural center in Thailand, the Russian House, and expanding educational programs.
Analysts note that the growth of supplies through Southeast Asia demonstrates the difficulty of restricting Russia’s access to dual-use technologies.
“A war of attrition is a battle of resources. Russia is increasing the scale,” Shagina concluded.
(C)UNIAN 2026