US sanctions Chinese firms for supplying drones to Russia

The US Treasury has imposed sanctions on two Chinese companies that manufacture drone engines and parts which have directly helped Russia in building long-range attack drones used in the Ukraine conflict.

This move is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to counter China’s material support for Russia’s military-industrial base, specifically targeting the collaboration between Beijing and Moscow.

The sanctions aim to disrupt the production of Russia’s Garpiya series drones, designed and produced in China with Russian defense firms. These drones have been responsible for destroying critical infrastructure and causing significant casualties in Ukraine, according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

This latest round of sanctions marks a significant escalation, as it directly targets Chinese entities involved in the development and production of complete weapons systems for Russia. The US had previously sanctioned Chinese entities providing critical inputs to Russia’s military-industrial base, but this is the first time sanctions have been imposed on those directly developing and producing entire weapons systems.

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Beijing has insisted that it does not provide weapons to either Ukraine or Russia, and it has defended its trade with Russia as normal and above the board.

The US is imposing sanctions on Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Company, which produces drone engines, and Redlepus Vector Industry, which has worked with a Russian entity already facing sanctions to facilitate the shipment of the drones to Russia.

The administration officials said China should have known that the Russian entity, TSK Vektor, was a “problematic actor.”

They indicated that the two Chinese firms had been developing long-range attack drones with the Russians since the beginning of the year.

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The administration also announced sanctions against Artem Mikhailovich Yamshchikov, a Russian national described as the beneficial owner of TSK Vektor, and the Russian entity TD Vector, which has been involved in facilitating the shipments, the officials say.

With inputs from agencies.