China Helps Russia Upgrade Shaheds Into a New Threat for Ukraine

China has helped Russia make its Shahed-type attack drones faster and more difficult for Ukraine to intercept by supplying key components, including turbojet engines.According to Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, China has become a crucial hub in the global supply chain that allows Iran and Russia to obtain components for Shaheds, including engines, servomotors, gyroscopes, and electronics.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Ukrainian officials who examined captured Russian drones said newer models are increasingly equipped with Chinese-made components.The shift became particularly evident in early July, when Russia used turbojet-powered Shaheds in a massive attack on Kyiv. The new drones can reportedly reach speeds of around 300 miles per hour (483 km/h) – roughly three times faster than older propeller-driven versions.The turbojet-powered drones pose a particular challenge for Ukraine as they can outrun some of the interceptor drones used to destroy older Shaheds. Ukrainian officials say the faster models must instead be intercepted by fighter jets or scarce air-defense missiles.Ukraine has said the engines powering some of these drones were made by Telefly Telecommunications Equipment, a Chinese company based in Shenzhen that produces computer and communications equipment as well as small microturbine engines for drones.After Ukraine publicized the discovery of its engines in Russian drones, the turbojet section disappeared from the company’s English-language website, although it remained available on Chinese-language pages and through other Chinese vendors. Other Topics of Interest Remembering Our Heroes As Ukraine continues to fight for its survival, memorials to fallen soldiers have become a defining feature of public life. China is a key link in Shahed productionThe Shahed was originally developed by Iran, which itself relied heavily on foreign technology and components. Early Iranian drones were primarily designed for reconnaissance and air support, but their limited accuracy eventually pushed engineers toward one-way attack drones that could cause significant damage even without precision targeting.One of the major challenges was developing an engine capable of maintaining high speeds and temperatures for extended periods. Iranian engineers based one of their engines on the German-designed Limbach L 550 E.According to the report, a 2008 US diplomatic cable detailed how Iran obtained the German engine, allegedly with the help of intermediaries using false documents. A Chinese company began distributing Limbach engines in 2012 and acquired the German manufacturer in 2017, making it easier for Iran to obtain them.The US Treasury Department later sanctioned an affiliate of the Chinese company, Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine, for supplying engines to Russia’s drone program.Iran eventually developed its own engine based on the Limbach design through Oje Parvaz Mado Nafar, a company linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. But the Iranian manufacturer continued relying on inexpensive components sourced through China.The US sanctioned Mado in 2021. Ukraine later said the company’s co-owner, Brig. Gen. Abdollah Mehrabi, was directly involved in a 2022 agreement under which Russia purchased more than 13,000 Shaheds, along with manufacturing equipment and components, for $324 million.Western components increasingly routed through ChinaThe supply chain has not been exclusively Chinese. Teardowns of Russian and Iranian drones have identified Western-made components, including microcontrollers from Texas Instruments and linear regulators from Switzerland’s STMicroelectronics.However, US investigations found that many such components were diverted to Iran and Russia through Chinese intermediaries. Shell companies, frequently operating through Hong Kong, allegedly purchased Western-made parts while concealing their ultimate destination.Texas Instruments said it opposes the use of its products in Russian and Iranian military equipment and the illicit diversion of its components. STMicroelectronics likewise said it does not support the use of its products outside their intended applications.Over time, however, Western components have reportedly become less prevalent as Chinese-made alternatives have improved.Kerri Bitsoff, a former US Treasury Department official, told the WSJ that the focus had previously been on obtaining Western components, but had shifted as China developed stronger manufacturing capabilities.Shaheds are becoming harder to interceptUkrainian researchers say Russia’s Shahed variants are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Col. Oleksandr Zaruba, a senior Ukrainian government researcher, said in June that captured drones were being found with more antennas, modems, and SIM cards that can use local networks to correct their flight paths.Some also reportedly carried what appeared to be anti-aircraft missiles. Zaruba said at least one such missile was nonfunctional and likely intended to deter Ukrainian aircraft attempting to shoot down the drone.Russia, which calls the drones Geran, frequently launches Shaheds alongside ballistic and cruise missiles to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. While the missiles carry much heavier warheads, Shaheds are relatively inexpensive and can be deployed in large numbers.Ukraine has previously said it can intercept more than 90% of older Shahed-type drones. The introduction of faster turbojet variants, however, threatens to undermine that advantage by forcing Ukraine to use more expensive and limited means of interception.China’s foreign ministry has said it strictly regulates exports of dual-use goods and has rejected unilateral US sanctions targeting companies involved in such trade. Telefly, Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine, Russian and Iranian officials, did not respond to requests for comment cited by the WSJ. 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