Key Points – China has reportedly halted drone sales to Ukraine and other European buyers while continuing, and even increasing, shipments of drones and critical components like motor magnets to Russia, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European officials.
-This covert support, which allegedly includes Chinese production lines operating on Russian territory and the supply of sensitive materials like gunpowder to Russian defense facilities, directly contradicts Beijing’s claims of neutrality in the Ukraine war.
-Despite China’s denials of providing lethal aid, NATO has formally labeled it a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s invasion, highlighting a significant behind-the-scenes effort to bolster Moscow’s war machine.
China Halts Drone Sales to Ukraine, But Keeps Supplying Russia: Zelenskyy
China has quietly tightened the screws on Ukraine’s battlefield efforts by halting drone sales to Kyiv and other European buyers, even as shipments to Russia continue unabated, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
Citing remarks from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European officials, the report offers a rare glimpse into a shadowy supply chain increasingly under scrutiny as the war grinds on.
China Prioritizing Russia Over West
“Chinese Mavic is open for Russians but is closed for Ukrainians,” Zelensky recently told journalists, highlighting that Chinese production lines, staffed with Chinese representatives, are operating on Russian territory.
European intelligence assessments reportedly align with his claims, suggesting that while deliveries of critical components like drone motor magnets to Western countries have dwindled, flows to Russia have surged.
Beijing Continues to Claim “Neutrality”
Officially, Beijing maintains it has no hand in the conflict. Speaking to Bloomberg, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed that it “strictly controls” dual-use goods. It also denied supplying weapons to either side of the conflict. The statement said that Beijing’s view had been “consistently” in favour of peace.
Yet this continued insistence on neutrality increasingly strains any reputation the authoritarian regime has left in the West.
Ukraine’s military intelligence claims that by early 2025, some 80% of critical electronics in Russian drones were of Chinese origin.
Allegations have also surfaced that Beijing is now providing sensitive materials, including special chemicals and gunpowder, to support at least 20 Russian defense facilities.
Unsurprisingly, China rejected such claims, and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated that his government had “never provided lethal weapons” to Russia.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
China’s deepening strategic and economic ties with Moscow have not gone unnoticed. NATO has now gone so far as to formally label China a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The quiet shift in drone supply lines highlights a broader reality: even as Beijing publicly calls for peace, it seems content to tilt the scales behind closed doors.
As Ukrainian forces continue to battle against a better-armed and increasingly tech-savvy Russian military, the stakes of China’s covert support are not just regional, but global.
China’s maneuvering in the drone market may be obscured by denials and diplomatic jargon, but its consequences are felt far from Beijing’s polished briefing rooms.
About the Author:
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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