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BERLIN: A popular weekly German Magazine has claimed that Beijing and Moscow are negotiating the purchase of 100 strike drones, which could be delivered as soon as April.
According to a report published in Der Spiegel, Russian military is engaged in negotiations with Chinese drone manufacturer Xi’an Bingo Intelligent Aviation Technology over the mass production of kamikaze drones for Russia. The revelations create a new urgency in the debate over possible Chinese military support for Russia.
The magazine further claimed that Bingo has reportedly agreed to manufacture and test 100 ZT-180 prototype drones before delivering them to the Russian Defense Ministry by April 2023. Military experts believe the ZT-180 is capable of carrying a 35- to 50 kilogram warhead.
Quoting sources, the report said the design of the unmanned aerial vehicle could be similar to that of Iran’s Shaheed 136 kamikaze drone. The Russian army has deployed hundreds of them in its attacks on Ukraine, where they used the Iranian drones to target residential buildings, power plants and district heating facilities, often resulting in civilian casualties.
In a further step, Bingo reportedly plans to deliver components and know-how to Russia so that the country can produce around 100 drones a month on its own.
China apparently already had plans last year to provide the Russian military with much more substantial support than previously known. According to information obtained by DER SPIEGEL, companies under the control of China’s People’s Liberation Army had planned to deliver replacement parts for Russia’s SU-27 fighter jets and other models.
Der Spiegel said in January, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported that Dutch microchips had been delivered to the Russian defense industry via Chinese companies. According to the report, an analysis by the Ukrainian forces of seized Russian offensive weapons like rockets, helicopters and drones or their remains showed that microchips from the Netherlands had apparently been installed in 10 of 27 Russian weapons inspected.
