Moscow relying on 'dual use' equipment and third-party
exporters
The DJI Mavic 3 Cine Drone shown here could be used in
Ukraine to gather intelligence on the battlefield, according to a Japanese
expert. (Source photos by Getty Images and AP)
Nikkei staff writers and JACOB FROMER, Contributing writer
July
1, 2023 17:59 JST
Russia has
for months been importing drones from Chinese companies explicitly for use in
its invasion of Ukraine, despite denials from Beijing that such equipment is
being deployed in the war, a Nikkei Asia investigation has found.
Between
December 2022 and April 2023, Russian companies imported at least 37 Chinese
unmanned aerial vehicles worth around $103,000 that were designated in customs
clearance records as being "for use in the special military
operation," the Russian government's name for the Ukraine war.
Since
the beginning of the invasion 16 months ago, Beijing has repeatedly denied
providing weapons to Moscow for use in the invasion. And while previous
reporting has shown that Russia stepped up its imports of Chinese drones after
the war began, Beijing has denied that China is exporting drones to the
battlefields of Ukraine.
"China calls on all relevant
parties to work together to strengthen controls, prevent all types of drones
from being used on battlefields in conflict areas, and jointly promote
international peace and regional stability," a spokesperson for China's
Ministry of Commerce said in April.
But
Nikkei's reporting shows that for months, Russian companies have been quietly filling
out customs paperwork for the import of drones, including machines
manufactured by U.S.-sanctioned DJI, China's biggest drone maker, marking
them for use in the war. It is unclear whether the Chinese companies or
government is aware of Russia's customs records regarding the drones.
Nikkei
obtained the Russian customs records from multiple sources, including Indian
companies Exim Trade Data and Export Genius, and analyzed shipments from China
to Russia.
The
label "for use in the special military operation" began appearing in
customs records late last year, after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered
his government to increase the supply of goods needed for the war.
In
November, the Federal Customs Service of Russia said on its official website
that the agency would expedite and simplify the release of "dual-use goods
and civilian products intended to support the combat and daily activities of
Russian military units."
Drones
"should be a must-have for combat units, platoons, companies and
battalions," Putin told defense officials in December, according to a
Kremlin transcript. Military analysts say Russia has been using drones to
surveil and attack Ukraine.
Nikkei
found that Russian companies also paid Chinese counterparts more than $1.2
million for 22 devices that detect and jam drones, and another $36,077 for 10
"rugged" portable personal computers. All were designated in customs
records for use in the war.
In
one case, on Feb. 1, Russian information technology company Status Compliances
imported three drones, with takeoff weights of between 25 kg and 150 kg,
from Shenzhen Kexin Smart Development, an electronic devices manufacturer in
Shenzhen, for $28,292. They were made by Shenzhen Jarch Electromechanical
Technology, according to Exim Trade Data.
The
drones were described in the records as civilian models, but an additional note
in the customs forms says they were being imported for the "special
military operation carried out by the armed forces of the Russian
Federation."
"Large
drones weighing over 25 kg could be used for reconnaissance, and if modified,
could be used for attack," said professor Tomoyuki Furutani of Keio
University, an expert on unmanned aircraft. "They could be made into a
self-destruct type, loaded with firepower to attack." He added that
smaller drones like DJI's MAVIC 3 could be used to gather intelligence rather
than attack.
Customs
records show that in January and March, 34 drones manufactured by DJI, worth
$75,100, were shipped to Russia, each with a takeoff weight of between 250
grams and 7 kg. Twenty-four were listed as DJI's Mavic 3 model.
In
a statement to Nikkei, DJI said the company could not verify the customs
records involving DJI this year and denied that the listed companies were DJI
dealers. The company said that DJI, as well as its subsidiaries, had
"voluntarily stopped all shipments to and operations in Russia and
Ukraine" on April 26 last year, but added that the company "cannot
control how our products are being used once they leave our management."
"We
have taken all steps under our control to emphasize that our products should
not be used in combat, to cause harm, or be modified into weapons," the
company said.
When
asked about the drones that the Russia customs data showed it had imported,
Status Compliances initially told Nikkei that it was not aware of any such
purchases. When Nikkei showed the company detailed transaction information, the
company denied that it had taken place.
Status
Compliances says on its website that it develops information security systems
for companies.
The
manufacturer listed in the customs records, Shenzhen Jarch Electromechanical
Technology, says on its website that it makes electrical slip rings, a device
used in the transmission of electricity or electrical signals, but does not
mention drones. When asked for comment by a Nikkei reporter, Shenzhen Jarch
Electromechanical Technology denied that it exports drones to Russia.
Shenzhen
Kexin Smart Development, the Chinese seller listed in the customs records, did
not respond to multiple inquiries.
Two
Hong Kong-based companies, APIO Group and Shenwei Technology HK, were also
listed as selling drones and drone suppressors, respectively, to Russia for the
war, but neither of the two companies appears to have a physical presence in
the city.
Their
registered offices use addresses of company formation agents, which can offer
one address for thousands of companies to use for registration simultaneously
-- common practice in Hong Kong, where it is easy and inexpensive for
businesses to incorporate.
APIO
Group and Shenwei Technology did not respond to Nikkei's request for comment.
Damien
Spleeters, deputy director at Operations at Conflict Armament Research, a
U.K.-based investigative organization, said Russia has been relying on civilian
goods and components in their weapon systems since before the February 2022
invasion.
"It
should not be a surprise that they continue to do so, since they lack the
domestic capability to effectively produce these goods and components
themselves," he said.
Nikkei
also requested interviews with the Russian government and the Chinese Embassy
in Japan about the drones, but received no response.
From
March 2022 to May 2023, China exported at least 30,000 drones to Russia, worth
over $32 million, according to China's official customs data.
Russia's
import records, however, did not mention the phrase "special military
operation" until December 2022.
Multiple
lawyers and other experts familiar with Russian customs practices speculated
that importers may be declaring that the drones are being used for the war in
order to speed them through the customs process.
Experts
tracking the war say that Russia has been plagued by logistical problems and
supply shortages since the beginning of the invasion. Russian President
Vladimir Putin has spoken publicly about the need for more materiel.
On
Oct. 25, Putin met with the head of Russia's Federal Customs Service, Vladimir
Bulavin, who told Putin that the customs agency would "provide every possible
assistance to our armed forces and defense industry companies," according
to a transcript from the Kremlin.
The
first mention of the "special military operation" in Russian customs
records came on Dec. 21 -- a $296,550 shipment of five "passive scanners"
that detect drones, and a $92,115 shipment of three jammers that block
communications between a drone and its remote controller.
U.S.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during his visit to Beijing last month
that the U.S. has "ongoing concerns" that Chinese companies may be
providing technology that Russia can use in its aggression against
Ukraine and said he had urged his Chinese counterparts to be vigilant. He
added, however, that he had seen no evidence that Beijing is providing lethal assistance
to Moscow.
"If
they [China] don't intend to be a part of Russia's war, they shouldn't sell the
drones," said Kazuto Suzuki, a University of Tokyo professor who
previously served on the Panel of Experts for the U.N. Security Council's Iran
Sanctions Committee.
"The
fact that they are putting them out there knowing Russia's intentions,
from an ethical standpoint, is an act of not wanting to stop the war, and
facilitating it," Suzuki said.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Ukraine-war/Special-report-Russia-buying-civilian-drones-from-China-for-war-effort
