Russian authorities have reported a series of incidents involving Chinese nationals allegedly smuggling military equipment out of Russia, according to the state-run newspaper Izvestia,
The items reportedly include 6B45 body armor, 6Sh117 patrol backpacks, and load-bearing vests from the Russian Army’s advanced Ratnik combat system. Under Russian law, such equipment is classified as military or dual-use goods and requires special export licenses for international shipment.
Authorities said the smuggling operations often exploit legal loopholes and use international postal services to send the gear to China, where the items are believed to be studied, reverse-engineered, and resold.
In mid-April, The Moscow Times reported that police arrested a Chinese man who had just mailed two tactical vests, including a Ratnik model. Authorities later linked him to earlier shipments of military gear to China.
In another case from December 2024, a Chinese student was found storing body armor, ballistic plates, and bullet casings in his university dorm room. He claimed he bought the items legally through online classifieds.
Russian customs and police officials stated that they have intercepted multiple shipments, often falsely declared as personal goods, with some destined for Shenzhen, China.
Experts told Izvestia that China is likely interested in Russian military gear for two reasons: to copy the designs and make cheaper versions, and to sell those copies to other countries.
A source familiar with the military gear market reportedly told the outlet that demand for counterfeit or reverse-engineered military equipment remains high, driven by price differences and gaps in international shipping regulations. Some of these imitation products have allegedly surfaced on Ukrainian battlefields.
“Counterfeit versions of Russian tactical equipment are regularly seen on fallen Ukrainian soldiers in the combat zone,” the source said.
The news comes as China deepens its economic ties with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently accused China of supplying weapons to Russia and said that Chinese nationals have been fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine. China denies any involvement in the war.
