- Russia is relying heavily on Iranian Shahid drones to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses.
- European officials told Bloomberg that Russia is working with China to build its own version.
- Officials said the companies began designing and testing the drones this year ahead of shipments.
Russian and Chinese companies are working together to develop an attack drone similar to Iran’s powerful Shahed attack drone, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed European officials.
The two companies held talks last year and began designing and testing a version of the drone for shipment to Russia earlier this year, officials said.
The official told the media that the drones have not yet been deployed to Ukraine, without specifying which companies were involved.
The move will be worrying for Ukraine and its allies.
Since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has relied heavily on Iranian Shahed drones and their new and customized variants to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.
In January, Russia was suspected of using the Iranian-made jet-propelled Shahed-238, a missile with significantly improved speed and altitude over the Shahed-136 loitering weapon.
Russia has developed its own version of the Shahed drone, the Geran-2 drone, which is similar to the Shahed-136 but made from different materials, researchers at the Institute of Conflict Weapons told The New York Times last year.
But officials told Bloomberg that one concern about the Russia-China partnership is that China could develop drones at a much faster pace than either Iran or Russia.
It’s another sign of Russia’s increasing reliance on China as it struggles under Western economic sanctions and further evidence that China has become a key backer of Russia’s war in Ukraine, despite its claims of neutrality.
European officials did not name the drone under development, but media and Chinese defense websites have reported that China is working on an explosive attack drone called the Sunflower-200, which is said to look similar to the Shahed-136, according to Bloomberg.
