An Iranian drone downed by Ukrainian forces contained a Chinese part that was manufactured and sent to Russian forces within three months, WSJ reports.
The presence of this part reveals a continued supply from China to Iran, indicating an ongoing flow of essential components for Iran’s drone program, despite US efforts to disrupt the global supply chain.
Investigators from Conflict Armament Research, a U.K.-based group monitoring global weapons supply chains, discovered that the drone contained a voltage converter believed to have been produced in China in mid-January 2023. This marked the first instance in 2023 of such a component being found in these drones, showing how quickly Iran can construct and ship drones to Russia.
This Chinese part was produced in January, shipped to Iran, integrated, and finally used against Ukraine in April.
Source: Euromaiden Press