A newly identified Russian drone intended for use in the war against Ukraine was found to contain components sourced entirely from Chinese manufacturers, including one that had previously pledged to avoid involvement in the conflict, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) closely resembles the Iranian-made Shahed-136 but is significantly smaller. The drone can carry a warhead weighing up to 15 kilograms.
❗️GUR publishes components of a new Russian UAV used as a decoy and reconnaissance, it can also carry a warhead weighing up to 15 kg.
▪️All components and blocks are of Chinese origin.
▪️The UAV is also equipped with a Chinese copy of Australian RFD900x data transmission… pic.twitter.com/EVd7AxBIEA
— MAKS 25 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) July 22, 2025
The GUR recovered at least two of the drones, noting that the second contained two unidentified components.
According to GUR, nearly half of the parts in the first drone originated from CUAV Technology, a Guangdong-based company that, in October 2022, pledged to restrict the sale of its products for military use in both Russia and Ukraine.
A breakdown published by the War & Sanctions platform, which maintains a database of foreign-made parts found in Russian weapons, reveals the drone includes CUAV-manufactured flight controllers, autopilot units, navigation modules, antennas, and airspeed sensors.
The UAV is also fitted with a Chinese-made replica of the Australian RFD900x data transmission module from RFDesign, capable of operating over distances of up to 40 kilometers with a clear line of sight.
Analysts said the recent discovery marks the first case of a Russian UAV constructed exclusively with Chinese components.
GUR’s findings underscore Moscow’s increasing dependence on Chinese technology, particularly in AI and machine learning. In Sumy last month, Ukraine recovered a Russian V2U drone that used AI to identify targets. The drone was powered by a Chinese Leetop A203 minicomputer and an American-made NVIDIA Jetson Orin processor.
A Russian “Shahed-136” long-range kamikaze UAV with a camera and a Nvidia Jetson AI development module that could allow some autonomy was recovered.
The UAV also had a radio modem allowing direct operator control up to 150km, or more with repeaters.
1/ https://t.co/O0dot3SW5F pic.twitter.com/9KWg1TzfLG— Roy🇨🇦 (@GrandpaRoy2) June 19, 2025
