China supplying Russian military factories with chemicals, gunpowder, components, Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence chief says
Beijing is supplying "special chemicals, gunpowder, and components" to 20 Russian military-industrial manufacturing facilities, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service Oleh Ivashchenko said in an interview partially released on May 25.
"We have confirmed data on 20 Russian factories," told Ukrinform in a snippet of a yet-to-be-released interview.
China has strengthened ties with Russia since the Kremlin launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, becoming Moscow's leading supplier of dual-use goods that bolster Russia's defense industry.
Ivashchenko told Ukrinform that as of early 2025, 80% of critical electronic components used in Russian drones were of Chinese origin. Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service has also recorded at least five instances of China providing equipment and spare parts to service Russia's military aviation industry.
While China has positioned itself as a potential mediator in the war, it has simultaneously criticized the U.S. and its allies for "exacerbating" the war by supplying weapons to Ukraine. NATO has labeled China a "decisive enabler" of Russia's aggression.
President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on April 17 that China is supplying weapons to the Russian military. His statement marks Kyiv's first confirmation that Beijing supports Russia's war effort by providing weapons.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow for Victory Day celebrations earlier this month, the two countries agreed to "strengthen coordination in order to decisively counter Washington's course of 'dual containment' of Russia and China."
The two countries also vowed to "contribute to the establishment of peace in Ukraine," while addressing the "root causes" of the war — alluding to maximalist phrasing regularly used by Russia to justify its full-scale invasion.
Kyiv on April 22 presented Beijing with evidence that Chinese citizens and companies have participated in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, which China dismissed as "groundless accusations and political manipulations."
Lucy Pakhnyuk
