A senior NATO official told reporters in Brussels that China remains a linchpin in sustaining Russia’s defense industry—a relationship NATO says has become a decisive factor enabling Moscow to wage the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi reported on October 14.
According to the official, roughly 80% of the critical electronic components used in Russian drones and other modern systems are manufactured in China. He also said Beijing has supplied Russia with more than $20 billion in production tools, components, and consumables since 2023—shipments that, in NATO’s assessment, have materially expanded Moscow’s ability to produce tanks, armored vehicles, and missiles.
“About 80% of the critical electronic components used in Russian drones and other modern equipment are made in China. Since 2023 Russia has purchased more than $20 billion in manufacturing tools, components, and consumables,” the official said.
NATO officials described Beijing’s assistance as multi-faceted: direct exports of components and equipment, production by Chinese subsidiaries of Western firms, and re-exports routed through third countries. Those channels, the alliance says, have allowed Russia to scale production despite sanctions and supply-chain hurdles.
The NATO official also accused China of aiding Moscow through non-kinetic means, including disinformation and cyber operations directed at alliance members.
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“We have observed hostile information manipulation and political interference, including cyber attacks against allies originating in China and executed in support of Russian objectives,” he said.
NATO, the official added, increasingly treats China as a strategic challenge and has elevated Beijing’s role on the alliance’s agenda.
Earlier, reports emerged that despite Beijing’s claims of neutrality, Chinese factories have increased exports of fiber-optic cables and lithium-ion batteries—key components for the “wired” drones that now dominate Russia’s battlefield operations, tenfold.
Chinese trade data show that exports of fiber-optic cable to Russia surged nearly tenfold in August, reaching roughly 325,000 miles.
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