Chinese-made engines are being covertly shipped via front companies to a state-owned drone manufacturer in Russia, labeled as "industrial refrigeration units" to avoid detection in the wake of Western sanctions, according to three European security officials and documents.
The shipments have allowed Russian weapons-maker IEMZ Kupol to increase its production of the Garpiya-A1 attack drone, despite the U.S. and EU sanctions imposed in October designed to disrupt its supply chain, according to the sources and documents, which included contracts, invoices and customs paperwork.
An internal Kupol document showed it signed a contract with the Russian defense ministry to produce more than 6,000 Garpiya this year, up from 2,000 in 2024. The document stated that more than 1,500 drones had already been delivered by April.
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