"Neutral" China helps to arm Russia - media

China supplies Russia with helicopters, drones, optical sights and critical metals used by the defense industry, writes The Telegraph .

“Russian firms have received tens of thousands of Chinese cargo since the start of the war in Ukraine. 1,000 drones, 6 helicopters, optical sights, titanium alloy products used in the manufacture of weapons, and aircraft parts, including for military aircraft, were delivered from China to Russia,” the investigation says.

Two months before the start of the war, the Chinese company Shantou Honghu Plastics, which calls itself a wholesaler of children's toys, sent 1,000 drones to Russia. They were received by the Russian company Samson, which also positions itself as a wholesaler of games and toys. According to the public register of companies, the authorized capital of the company is only 10,000 rubles, which indicates its fictitiousness.

Then, four days after the start of the war in Ukraine, the Chinese company Hems999 delivered two helicopters to Russia. Another Chinese firm, Tianjin Huarong Aviation, has donated four Airbus helicopters to Russia since the start of the war. They were all obtained by the Russian firm Ural Helicopter, whose main customer is the Russian National Guard, headed by Viktor Zolotov , Putin's longtime bodyguard.

Trade between China and Russia will exceed $200 billion this year, a new record, even as Chinese exports to other countries have dropped significantly. Exports of goods with potential military applications have more than tripled a year.

📸 The Telegraph.