A new long-range attack drone, known as the Garpiya-A1, produced by Russia since last year, incorporates Chinese engines and parts, according to recent intelligence documents reviewed by Reuters.

The documents, obtained from a European intelligence source, reveal that IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of the Russian state-owned Almaz-Antey, manufactured over 2,500 of these drones between July 2023 and July 2024.

The revelation highlights a significant reliance on Chinese technology in Russia’s military equipment, even as the Garpiya-A1 is deployed in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Reuters reports that the new Russian drone, incorporating Chinese technology, has not been previously disclosed. Neither IEMZ Kupol nor Almaz-Antey responded to requests for comment.

According to two intelligence sources, the Garpiya drone, named after the Russian word for “Harpy,” has been used against both military and civilian targets in Ukraine, causing significant damage to infrastructure and resulting in casualties.

The sources provided images of a Garpiya wreck in Ukraine to Reuters but did not offer further details. Although Reuters corroborated some of this information, it could not independently verify the images.

The sources requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information and asked that certain details, such as specific dates, remain undisclosed.

Samuel Bendett, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Reuters that if confirmed, the Garpiya would represent a shift from Russia’s reliance on Iranian drone designs.

He noted that this could signal a growing dependence on domestic and Chinese technology, as both sides in the conflict use Chinese components for drone production.

Iran, which did not comment, has supplied over a thousand Shahed “kamikaze” drones to Russia since the invasion began in February 2022, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

These drones have been used to target Ukrainian infrastructure and exhaust air defenses. Iran has denied sending drones to Russia.

Russia’s defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The Chinese foreign ministry stated to Reuters that Beijing controls the export of items with potential military uses and emphasized its commitment to promoting peace talks in the Ukrainian conflict.

It added that there are no international restrictions on trade between China and Russia.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently urged China to cease supporting Russia’s war efforts, claiming Beijing’s assistance has significantly contributed to the ongoing conflict.

The Garpiya drone resembles the Shahed but includes unique features such as a distinctive bolt-on fin and Limbach L-550 E engines.

The latter, originally designed by a German company, is now manufactured in China by Xiamen Limbach. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

A review of a contract valued at over 1 billion rubles (10 million euros) signed in early 2023 between the Russian defense ministry and Kupol indicated the development of a factory for producing these drones.

The sources said a former cement factory in Izhevsk, Udmurt Republic, purchased by Kupol in 2020, is being repurposed for drone production.

Using a video posted on Telegram, Reuters identified the facility as the Izhevsk factory based on visual similarities to file imagery of the site.

A prototype of the Garpiya was launched in early 2023, with production reaching several hundred in the latter half of 2023 and over 2,000 in early 2024.

Bendett noted that a production rate of 2,500 drones annually would represent a significant portion of Russia’s output.

Ukraine’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported last month that Russia has launched nearly 14,000 strike drones since February 2022, including Iranian Shaheds and Russian-made Geran-2 and Lancet drones.

Documents reviewed by Reuters from the second quarter of 2023 revealed that supplier TSK Vektor procured parts from Chinese firms for assembly at Kupol’s site.

This included 800 Chinese engines scheduled for delivery to the new plant by the end of the quarter. TSK Vektor did not respond to a request for comment.

The European intelligence agency expressed concern that Chinese companies continue to supply components for Russian drone production, urging an end to the export of these critical parts.

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Chinese entities over their support for Russia’s defense industry and has warned Beijing about its role in the Ukraine conflict. The State Department and the White House did not comment on this story.

China announced in July that it would tighten drone export rules starting September 1, calling U.S. sanctions on Chinese entities “illegal and unilateral.”

The Garpiya drone has a take-off weight of less than 300 kilograms and a maximum range of 1,500 kilometers, similar to Iran’s Shahed-136 drones.