How Is Russia Overwhelming Ukraine With Drones? The Answer Is China - National Security Journal

Key Points and Summary – A new report reveals China is “materially helping” Russia’s war in Ukraine by massively increasing exports of critical drone components. -Reuben Johnson

• While Beijing claims neutrality by reducing exports of fully-assembled drones, a surge in shipments of fiber-optic cables and lithium-ion batteries to Russia tells a different story.
• This flood of components has allowed Moscow to dramatically scale up its domestic production of jamming-resistant drones.
• As a result, Russia is now overwhelming Ukrainian defenses and logistics behind the front lines, seizing the advantage in the crucial drone war and costing “uncountable” Ukrainian lives.

After proving that it was achieving technological superiority in drone warfare, Ukraine began losing the edge against the Russian military. 

It did not happen because Ukraine suddenly slowed down its industrial effort or because Russian industry achieved some game-changing breakthrough.

• It occurred due to an overnight surge in support from Russia’s long-time allies in the People’s Republic of China (PRC)...