"Russia Imports Chinese-Made Engines Disguised as 'Industrial Chillers' to Produce Drones"

Russian State-Owned Enterprise is Increasing Production of Drones for Attacks on Ukraine Despite Western Sanctions

An apartment in Kyiv destroyed by a Russian drone attack (Kyiv EPA=Yonhap News) An interior view of an apartment in Kyiv destroyed by a Russian drone attack, taken on July 21, 2025. 2025.7.24.

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Hwa-seop = Russia is importing Chinese-made engines disguised as 'industrial chillers' to circumvent Western sanctions and produce drones for attacks on Ukraine, Reuters reported on the 23rd (local time), citing three anonymous European security officials.

According to Reuters, the Russian state-owned enterprise 'IEMZ Kupol' has been able to increase production of its 'Garpia-A1' attack drones through this method, despite facing sanctions from the United States and the European Union (EU).

Reuters added that it verified these details by reviewing related contracts, transaction statements, and customs documents.

Reuters explained that its review of internal Kupol documents revealed that Kupol signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense to produce over 6,000 Garpia drones this year, triple the number produced last year, with approximately 1,500 units already delivered by April.

According to Ukraine's military intelligence, Russia is using Garpia drones to attack targets deep within Ukrainian territory, far from the front lines, deploying about 500 drones monthly, Reuters reported.

Prior to this, Reuters reported in September last year that Kupol was producing Garpia drones using LE550E engines manufactured by a Chinese company called 'Xiamen Limbach Aviation Engine'.

The following month after these reports emerged, the US and the EU sanctioned component suppliers, including Xiamen, to cut off Kupol's supply chain.

However, after the sanctions took effect, a new Chinese company named 'Beijing Shichao International Technology Trading' began supplying LE550E engines to Kupol, and Reuters was unable to confirm how Shichao obtained the engines from Xiamen Limbach.

Kupol has been under sanctions from the EU since December 2022 and from the US since December 2023.

Related companies and Russian government ministries did not respond to Reuters' inquiries for this article.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry told Reuters that it was unaware of the export of Garpia drone parts and stated that China controls the sale of dual-use items (products that can be used for both civilian and military purposes) to foreign countries in accordance with its own laws and international compliance requirements.

It added, "China has always opposed unilateral sanctions that are not based on international law and have not been approved by the United Nations Security Council."

limhwasop@yna.co.kr

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