China supplying helicopters, drones, other equipment to Russia despite neutrality claims - media

That’s according to The Telegraph, Ukrinform reports.

“China is helping to arm Russia with helicopters, drones, optical sights and crucial metals used by the defence industry,” a Telegraph investigation has found.

Russian companies, including those under sanctions, involved in the manufacture of missile launchers, armored vehicles and strategic bombers, have received tens of thousands of shipments from China since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began through the first quarter of this year.

Among other things, Chinese companies supplied the Russian Federation with 1,000 drones, six helicopters, optical sights, products made of titanium alloys used in arms production, as well as spare parts for aircraft, including military ones, the publication claims.

Among the recipients of these products were the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Russian Guard, Rostec, Tupolev, and other state structures of the Russian Federation.

At the same time, China insists on maintaining neutrality and tries to pose as a key peace mediator in negotiations aimed at achieving peace, the newspaper emphasizes.

Overall, trade between China and the Russian Federation this year is expected to exceed $200 billion, setting a new record, despite the fact that Chinese exports to other countries have dropped significantly.

According to a June analysis by the Observatory of Economic Complexity, a trade data visualizer, exports of goods with potential military uses more than tripled over the past 12 months compared to the previous period.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, U.S. intelligence believes that China has strengthened its economic partnership with Russia after the outset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including though helping Moscow mitigate the pressure of Western sanctions and restrictions in the field of export control.