Chinese State-Owned Company Supplies Russia With Raw Materials for Geran Drones – Politico

China’s state-owned company Jilin Chemical Fiber Group supplied Russia’s military industry with raw materials used to manufacture attack drones.

The information is based on internal shipping and customs documents obtained by Politico journalists.

The Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation (USCC) collected and analyzed the documents. They have since been verified and shared with the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom. Representatives of the U.S. House Select Committee on China and Ukrainian government officials also independently confirmed the authenticity of the documents.

According to the documents, Jilin Chemical Fiber Group shipped two 40-foot containers containing 46 tons of polyacrylonitrile precursor, a chemical material used in manufacturing, to the Russian company Alabuga-Volokno.

The delivery address listed in the documents belongs to a Rosatom subsidiary located in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Russia’s Tatarstan region.

The material is a critical precursor in the production of high-strength carbon fiber, which is used in the fabrication of the airframes and internal structural components of Geran loitering munitions. According to estimates, the quantity of precursor material supplied would be sufficient to produce carbon-fiber materials for approximately 1,300 strike UAVs.

To circumvent international export controls, the shipment was declared under a civilian customs classification typically applied to conventional nylon or polyester materials. This classification effectively obscured the transfer of dual-use materials that are subject to international export restrictions.

The Russian company Alabuga-Volokno has been under sanctions imposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Ukraine since 2023. According to USCC estimates, by 2030, as much as 89% of the company’s total output is expected to be directed toward the needs of Russia’s military industry.

Journalists note that the Chinese manufacturer Jilin Chemical Fiber Group is not currently subject to Western sanctions. USCC analysts have identified at least eight similar tenders for containerized shipments of the material from China to Tatarstan since 2022.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Department of State said they take reports of sanctions violations seriously and have the authority to impose additional restrictions on the networks identified in the investigation. The UK Foreign Office has also reviewed the documents provided.

China remains the primary source of critical components for Russia’s defense sector. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, China accounts for more than 60% of the imported parts and materials required for the operation of Russia’s military industry.

In return for military assistance, Russia is supplying China with its own technologies to enhance and modernize its defense capabilities.