WSJ: China has supplied Russia with millions of motors that are used to produce drones

Despite the fact that the Chinese authorities have repeatedly stated that the country does not supply weapons to Russia, the country exports dual-use products that can be used for the production of weapons.

The Chinese company Shenzhen Kiosk Electronic Co has supplied 3.3 million motors to Russia, The Wall Street Journal writes , citing unpublished reports for the US State Department and EU governments. The end user was Rustakt, a Moscow-based drone manufacturer that was sanctioned by the EU in December 2024.

From July 2023 to February 2025, the company imported nearly $294 million worth of Chinese goods, including $83 million worth of electric motors.

Trade continued after the introduction of EU sanctions. According to reports, Rustakt acts as both a drone manufacturer and a “logistics center” for other Russian manufacturers.

Between June and August 2024, the Chinese company sent more than 685.5 thousand motor parts to another drone manufacturer that was subject to US sanctions.

The Russian company Morgan, which is not subject to US sanctions, has imported almost $5 million worth of Chinese goods since 2024 for the Alabuga long-range unmanned aerial vehicle program. The imports included 7,800 lithium polymer batteries labeled as being for "special military operation."