China Supplies Special Chemicals, Gunpowder, and Machinery to 20 Russian Military Plants — Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence

Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (FISU) has gathered and verified evidence that China supplies equipment and components for ammunition production to Russia’s defense industry.

Oleh Ivashchenko, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, reported this.

“We have confirmed information that China is supplying machine tools, special chemicals, gunpowder, and components directly to Russian military plants. We have verified data on 20 such factories,” he shared.

He added that between 2024 and 2025, at least five instances of aviation-related cooperation were documented, involving equipment, spare parts, and technical documentation. In six additional cases, large shipments of special chemicals were delivered.

According to the FISU, as of early 2025, 80% of the critical electronics used in Russian drones originate from China.

The report notes that to bypass sanctions, Chinese entities use deceptive labeling and shell companies to ship microelectronics components to Russia.

In June 2024, reports indicated that Russia was purchasing used Western- and Japanese-made machine tools via China for use in military production.

In February 2025, an investigation by the Schemes project discovered that China had become the primary — and in some cases the sole — supplier of key semi-metals to Russia following the imposition of Western sanctions.

These materials are used in weapons manufacturing and are supplied by about 20 Chinese companies, including state-owned enterprises.

Gallium, germanium, and antimony are considered critical materials globally and are typically stockpiled in strategic reserves. They are essential for microelectronics, laser systems, thermal imaging optics, specialized alloys, and nuclear weapons components.

On April 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine had received intelligence indicating China was supplying weapons to Russia, including gunpowder and artillery components. The following day, China’s Foreign Ministry denied the claim, stating that Beijing had not provided lethal weapons to either side in the conflict.

In March 2024, Militarnyi reported that Russian forces in Ukraine were using artillery shells resembling Chinese models. Whether the ammunition was produced in Russia or supplied directly from China remains unclear.