US sanctions Chinese companies accused of making Russian drone parts
Al Jazeera
China has forged closer ties with Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, but it has repeatedly denied supplying weapons.
The United States Department of the Treasury has announced sanctions against Chinese makers of drone engines and parts that President Joe Biden’s administration says have directly helped Russia mount long-range attacks in the war in Ukraine.
The sanctions, issued on Thursday, target three entities and one individual for their involvement in the development and production of Russia’s “Garpiya series” long-range attack drones.
“The Garpiya has been deployed by Russia in its brutal war against Ukraine, destroying critical infrastructure and causing mass casualties,” the Treasury Department said in a statement announcing the measures.
“Designed and developed by People’s Republic of China (PRC)-based experts, the Garpiya is produced at PRC-based factories in collaboration with Russian defense firms before transferring the drones to Russia for use against Ukraine.”
Russia has recently used long-range drone attacks to penetrate Ukraine’s air defences, wreaking havoc across the country, including a missile strike in the city of Poltava that killed 55 people and wounded 328.
