China Is Helping Russia Boost Production of Gasoline-Powered "Shaheds" — Defense Express
Russia is capable of manufacturing more than 3,000 “Shahed” kamikaze drones with gasoline engines each month at facilities in the Alabuga Economic Zone. To this end, components from China are used, among other things.
As noted in a Defense Express article, Chinese authorities facilitated the establishment of contacts between Russian contractors and Chinese partners to launch production of the “Shaheds.” This is reported by Ivan Kirichevsky, a serviceman with the 413th Regiment of the “Reid” Unmanned Systems Forces.
In addition to these drones, he notes, there are also more than 3,500 “Geran-4” and “Geran-5” jet-powered drones.
Kirichevsky notes that a new study by the American think tank CSIS is dedicated to examining exactly what kind of foreign assistance enabled Russia to reach this figure. A separate section of this study is devoted to industrial supplies from China to “Alabuga” in 2024.
“The fact that this study cites figures for industrial assistance from China only for 2024 by no means implies that such assistance from China was not provided in 2023 or in 2025–2026. Here, we can only work with the figures provided for the specified period,” the analyst noted.
Engine components and casings
Specifically, the authors of the study point out that in 2024, China supplied Russia with over 685,000 engine components for the “Shahed” drones. The estimated value of the shipments was $0.9 million. At the same time, 7,800 lithium-ion batteries were delivered.
In addition, the production line for manufacturing the airframes of long-range UAVs in Alabuga was also supplied from China. At the same time, Chinese authorities “provided direct assistance to ensure that Russian contractors actively established contacts with Chinese partners to ramp up production of the ‘Shahed’ drones.”
“Shahed” Antennas
Kirichevsky also emphasizes that Russian engineers relied on the expertise of the Beijing Institute of Microelectronics Technology to develop their own jam-resistant antennas for the “Shaheds.”
“Not to mention the shipments of satellite navigation antennas from the Chinese manufacturer Harxon, which were supplied under the guise of ‘agricultural goods,’” the expert noted.
Systematic Assistance from China
Thus, the analyst notes, all this data comprehensively illustrates the systematic nature of China’s assistance to Russia in scaling up production of the “Geran-2” at the Alabuga facilities.
“It’s worth noting separately that drones of the same type, but manufactured by IMES ‘Kupol,’ are designated ‘Garpiya-1A,’” added Kirichevsky.
This is discussed in an article by Ivan Kirichevsky, a serviceman with the 413th Regiment of the “Raid” Unmanned Systems Forces and an expert at Defense Express, published on the portal.
China helped Russia create new Shahed drones with jet engines, according to the WSJ.
As a reminder, Russia attacked warehouses and energy facilities in the Odesa region.
Earlier, drones attacked Ozon logistics centers in two regions of Russia at once.
Drones also attacked Krasnodar and caused a fire at a warehouse
Earlier, warehouses caught fire in Akulovo, near Moscow.
