Russian Finance Minister: China is main supplier of drones to Russia
Nearly all of the imported drones currently owned by Russia were supplied by China, said the Russian Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov. Speaking during a meeting of the State Duma's budget and taxation committee on October 16, Siluanov revealed the source of Russia's drone imports, publicly disclosing this information for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"Today, the majority of drones are from the People's Republic of China. We are grateful to our partners. However, we need to develop our own resource base, and the necessary funds have been allocated," said Siluanov.
"We are allocating additional funds for drones. Over 60 billion rubles ($620 million) have been put aside, which will go towards a new national project for the development of our own drone industry. The goal is for 41% of all drones to be 'Made in Russia' by 2025," emphasized Siluanov.
According to media reports, since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, China has been sending helicopters, drones, scopes, and components for military production to Russia.
Export restrictions on drones introduced by China on September 1 have resulted in the cessation of supplies of components and drones weighing over 4 kg. Certain types are already experiencing shortages, including agricultural drones, which weigh on average 30-40 kg and are currently produced in Russia on a limited scale.