Ukraine, Russia both depend on Chinese components - Defense Express

He talked about this on Espreso TV.

Katkov stated, “Ukraine relies on Chinese components for drones just as much as Russia does. For instance, many parts for Ukrainian FPV drones come from China. The issue is that while we talk about electronics being supplied from China to Russia, these are often purchased from civilian companies with what seems to be Beijing's approval. These shipments are labeled as civilian products - sometimes even disguised as lawn mowers. Because of this, these shipments can’t be easily stopped, as China isn't violating any Western sanctions by doing so."

According to him, the only way to stop the production of Russian Shaheds is to attack the production sites, such as the one in Alabuga, Tatarstan.

“This facility has only been attacked by Ukrainian drones a few times because it's a long-range target. Ukraine needs long-range, effective weapons. The Ukrainian defense industry is regularly hit by Russian cruise missiles with much more powerful warheads than drones, yet it keeps operating. However, if the goal is to completely destroy the Alabuga facility, it requires a significant amount of munitions and sustained, methodical strikes - not just one-off attacks. Right now, we need to counter the threats from kamikaze drones and other types of UAVs. To address this, Ukrainian anti-aircraft drones are being developed, and the national electronic warfare system is being rolled out, as the number of locally lost drones is on the rise,” he summarized.

• About 60 % of the imported components found in Russian weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine come from China. This was reported to Reuters by Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to the Ukrainian president.