The Biden administration last month vowed to crack down on companies selling critical technologies to Russia as part of its efforts to curb the country’s war against Ukraine.
But continuous flow of drones Chinese in the country explains why it will be difficult.
While sales of drones have declined, US policies implemented after the Russian invasion have failed to curb exports of these unmanned aerial vehicles that serve as eyes in the sky for frontline combatants.
In the year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, China sold more than 12 million dollars andn drones and drone parts in the country, according to official Russian customs data from a third-party data provider.
It is difficult to determine whether Chinese drones contain US technology that would violate US regulations or are legal.
Shipments, a mix of products from DJI, the world’s most popular drone maker and a number of smaller companies have often stepped in small intermediaries and exporters.
Convoluted sales channels and vague product descriptions in export data also make it difficult to conclusively prove the presence of US components in Chinese products, which could constitute a violation of US export controls.
And official sales are likely just one part of a larger stream of technologies unofficial channels and other Russia-friendly nations, such as Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Belarus.
The result is a steady supply of new drones to Russia as it comes to the forefront of its war with Ukraine.
On the battlefield, gliding quadcopters typically last only a few flights before disappearing from the sky.
Replenishing stockpiles of the most basic UAVs has become as critical an issue as other basic needs, such as acquiring shells and artillery shells.
Support
Militarily, diplomatically and economically, Beijing has become an increasingly important supporter of Russia in its war effort.
China remained a major buyer of Russian oil, helping to finance the invasion.
Both sides also held joint military exercises and jointly attacked NATO.
As Chinese leader Xi Jinping meets with the president of Russia this week, Vladimir PutinUS officials have warned that China is still considering selling lethal weapons for use in Ukraine.
The Secretary of State, Anthony Blinkenhe said on Monday that the visit amounted to a “diplomatic cover for Russia to continue committing” war crimes.
US efforts to insulate Russia from much-needed technology and money have been complicated by Chinese dominance of the global electronics supply chain.
In recent years, the United States has tried to weaken the position of some Chinese companies controlling exports, but the world remains heavily dependent on city-sized assembly plants and clusters of specialized component manufacturers from China.
The country’s dominant role has made it difficult to understand and control foreign products built into basic but essential consumer electronics such as drones, which can be made with widely available components sold in retail stores.
“It poses a challenge for export control: The same model can be used by real estate agents to inspect properties and can be used in Ukraine for intelligence purposes,” said William A. Reinsch, a member of the Center for Strategic and International Studies of Washington and a former Commerce Department official who oversaw export controls.
“They are not the most sophisticated technology in the world, it is not inevitable that they contain American chips,” he added, noting that if there are no American components in the drones, shipments become a Political issue, not legal.
Particularly problematic for the US government is DJI, the maker of suspended quadcopter drones that have become emblematic of a new kind of warfare in Ukraine.
Sales of its drones to Russia have continued, though it said it has suspended shipments to both Russia and Ukraine.
The company is already subject to US export controls.
The Commerce Department added DJI to a blacklist in 2020 that prevents US companies from selling technology without express permission.
The move has done little to affect DJI’s dominance of the industry, and the company’s products have accounted for nearly half of Chinese drone shipments to Russia, according to customs data. A portion of them were sold directly by DJI, through iFlight Technology, a subsidiary of DJI.
In all, nearly 70 Chinese exporters have sold 26 different brands of Chinese drones to Russia since the invasion.
The second best-selling brand was Autel, a Chinese drone maker with subsidiaries in the United States, Germany and Italy;
the exporters have sold nearly $2 million of their drones, with the latest batch shipped last month.
On its website, the company advertises sales to US law enforcement agencies.
A DJI spokesperson said the company could not find any records of direct sales to Russia since April 16, 2022, and that it would investigate other companies that appeared to be selling to Russia.
The company, he said, has halted all shipping and operations in Russia and Ukraine since the start of the war and has done so “complete protocols” to ensure it does not violate US sanctions.
“Like any consumer electronics company with products sold in many different electronics stores, we have no influence on how all of our products are used once they leave our control,” the spokesperson added in a statement sent via e -mail.
Autel said in an emailed statement it was unaware of any sales to Russia and was conducting an internal investigation into the matter.
While popular with photography enthusiasts and tourists for years, hovering quadcopter drones are now a major asset for Russian and Ukrainian frontline troops, who use them for battlefield reconnaissance.
They need to be replenished regularly, as are both sides breaking down unmanned vehicles with increasing effectiveness.
Ukraine has relied on drone donations from third-party organizations and individuals, which means that its troops are also using DJI drones on the front lines.
Advisors estimate that about half of Ukraine’s troop stockpiles consist of Ukrainian drones and the other half are foreign, mostly made by DJI.
In lieu of donations, Russia has been able to purchase a steady, if not massive, supply of drones from China.
Direct sales by Chinese exporters, industry experts say, are just one part of a larger effort to source the drones in nearby markets, where they can be purchased off retail store shelves.
Some experts say the flow of Chinese drones should be viewed in the same way as the flow of more lethal weapons. Even the measly $12 million in shipments “will push the needle of what’s happening to the forefront,” said Cole Rosentreter, chief executive of Canadian drone maker Pegasus, who advised Ukrainians on drone use during the war. .
“We’re back to industrial-scale warfare; both sides now treat drones the same way as artillery shells, because whoever has the logistical basis to outrun the other has a clear battlefield advantage,” he added.
In this sense, even Xi’s tacit support for new drone shipments could be a long-term boon for Russian troops.
It has already been difficult to fully control the shipment of high-tech components like those that go on drones.
Chinese companies that supply Russia, whether by political calculation or economic incentive, sometimes use chains of intermediary companies that can include more than a dozen companies.
In other cases, shipment descriptions may be intentionally vague or understate the total volume of goods being shipped.
“What we have seen from the Chinese are high-level declarations that they want to end the war, but behind the scenes they have used the opportunity to seize trade channels that previously passed through Europe and the United States,” says James Hodson , a member of the Yermak-McFaul International Expert Panel on Russian Sanctions and executive director of the AI for a good foundation.
Often, he said, the goal of sanctions isn’t to suppress shipments, but to cut off “90 percent of the blood flow.”
“It will be very difficult to completely amputate the exhaust.
But it’s worrying that in some cases it’s like nothing is blocked,” he said.
c.2023 The New York Times Society
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.