Shannon Brandao’s Post

#China has surged sales to #Russia of #machinetools, #microelectronics and other #technology that #Moscow in turn is using to produce #missiles, #tanks, #aircraft and other #weaponry for use in its war against #Ukraine…. 👁️AP News: https://lnkd.in/gtvUEfBm ….in 2023 about 90% of Russia’s microelectronics came from China, which Russia has used to make missiles, tanks and aircraft. […] Chinese and Russian entities have also been working to jointly produce #unmannedaerialvehicles inside Russia, and Chinese companies are likely providing Russia with #nitrocellulose used in the manufacture of #ammunition…. The officials said Russia has received #militaryoptics for use in tanks and #armoredvehicles manufactured by Chinese firms….China has been providing Russia with #UAVengines and #turbojetengines for #cruisemissiles. Russia’s #semiconductor imports from China jumped….to over $500 million in 2022…. #Beijing is also working with Russia to improve its #satellite and other space-based capabilities….the U.S. has also determined that China is providing #imagery to Russia for its war on Ukraine. …#Blinken is expected to travel to China this month for talks. Blinken is scheduled to travel next week to the #G7 #foreignministers meeting in #Capri, Italy, where he’s expected to raise concerns….. #usintelligence #intelligence #russia #china #ukraine

Russia warns it can take unspecified measures in response to US drone flights over Black Sea - The Associated Press: Russia’s defense minister ordered officials to prepare a “response” to U.S. drone flights over the Black Sea, the ministry said Friday, in an apparent warning that Moscow may take forceful action to ward off the American reconnaissance aircraft. The Russian Defense Ministry noted a recent “increased intensity” of U.S. drones over the Black Sea, saying they “conduct intelligence and targeting for precision weapons supplied to the Ukrainian military by Western countries for strikes on Russian facilities.” “It shows an increased involvement of the U.S. and other NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of the Kyiv regime,” the ministry said in a statement. It noted that “such flights significantly increase the probability of incidents involving Russian military aircraft, which increases the risk of direct confrontation between the alliance and the Russian Federation.” “NATO members will bear responsibility for that,” it added. The ministry said that Defense Minister Andrei Belousov has directed the General Staff to “make proposals on measures of operative response to provocations.” Washington and Moscow have clashed before over the issue. In March 2023, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet damaged a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone, causing it to crash into the Black Sea. It was the first direct clash between Russian and U.S. forces since the Cold War. A repeat of such a confrontation could further fuel tensions over the war in Ukraine. The Pentagon and U.S. European Command said after the incident that two Russian Su-27 aircraft dumped fuel on the MQ-9, which was conducting a routine surveillance mission over the Black Sea in international airspace. The Russian Defense Ministry said then that the U.S. drone was flying near the Russian border and intruded into an area that was declared off-limits by Russian authorities. Russia has declared broad areas near Crimea off-limits to flights. Ever since Russia’s 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea and long before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow accused U.S. surveillance planes of flying too close to its borders while ignoring the notices issued by Russia. Story continues: https://lnkd.in/e-k2FCmg

Ukraines military production capacity is showing Ukraines defiance against the russian invaders, this year Ukraine will reach a potential of manufacturing military equipment worth approx. 3 billion usd, next year Ukraines production capability will grow to 6 billion usd.... This is why Denmark is setting up funds to allow Ukraine to buy weapons from their own military industry, this is faster, maintenance is easier and spare parts immediately available. We know that this year Ukraine will manufacture approx. 1,5 million drones of different categories, next year that number will reach 4 million drones (and we must add drones delivered by supporters to that number). This was stated by Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen during an interview earlier today. It was also stated clearly that Ukraine can use weapons delivered by Denmark inside russia, as long as this is done according to international law. Part of Ukraines military industry includes drones with a 3300km range, the new drone ballistic missile "The Palianytsia" and final tests of the HRIM-2 (GROM) was concluded last week with good results, this system has a 700km range and delivers 500kg of explosives. All of these weapons come with zero restrictions, as in none! Earlier today it was also announced that russia has paused production of Su-57 Fitch Gen. Fighter Jets due to sanctions - as russia miss essential parts. Sanctions seems to work after all.... #Ukraine #production #stoprussia #sanctions #standbyukraine #slavaukraini #drones #armukrainenow #armdemocracy #politics #EU #NATO #USSenate #USCongress Marijn Markus Yana Rudenko Anders Puck Nielsen Jacob Kaarsbo Roman Sheremeta Burgess Barr Esben Gadsbøll Troels Lund Poulsen Lars Raae Alexander With

Yesterday, 17 October 2024, the US sanctioned Chinese firms it says are involved in the production of aerial drones, which Russia has used in its invasion of Ukraine. The US Treasury’s OFAC announced that it was targeting three entities and one individual for their involvement in developing and producing Russia’s ‘Garpiya series’ of long-range attack unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). This is the first time the US has sanctioned Chinese companies for supplying complete weapons systems, from development to production, to Russia for use in Ukraine. Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith said, “Russia increasingly relies on the expertise of foreign professionals and the import of sophisticated technologies to sustain its weapons program and advance its military campaign against Ukraine.” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller has said the weapons had “been used to destroy critical infrastructure and had resulted in mass casualties.” In a statement released by OFAC, they stated they are sanctioning a Russian company and its owner, Artem Yamshchikov, who served as the intermediary between the Chinese firms and a Russian state-owned weapons company. In a speech to the EU Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outlined that he had received intelligence “China is still actively helping Russia drag out this war.” China has denied this claim. Spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, told Reuters, “The US makes false accusations against China’s normal trade with Russia. This is a typical double standard, and extremely hypocritical and irresponsible.” #sanctions #china #russia #usa #ukraine #uav #drone #military #news

Defense expert Ulrike Franke - Garpiya drones from China are changing the Ukraine conflict - but not as expected The EU is investigating reports that China is supplying combat drones to Russia for use in Ukraine for the first time. Defense expert Ulrike Franke explains the importance of these arms deliveries. What is China accused of? Apparently, China is helping Russia to develop and produce armed drones in China, which can then be used in the war of aggression against Ukraine. China denies the allegations. The media agency Reuters reported back in September that IEMZ Kupol, a subcontractor of the Russian arms company Almaz-Antey, had developed and tested a drone system in China with the help of Chinese experts. In October, the US State Department sanctioned two Chinese companies allegedly involved in this collaboration. These were the first US sanctions against Chinese companies for direct military support to Russia. Now new intelligence reports of this collaboration have emerged, and it appears that the drones can now be produced in large numbers in Russia. Further reading in German: (https://lnkd.in/dacCmcFw)

Up to 30% of Russia's CNC machines are manufactured in Germany. These machines are used by the aggressor to produce weapons, including artillery, drones, and missiles that are used in attacks on Ukraine, explains Olena Yurchenko, Director of Analytics, Research, and Investigations at ESCU, to SWR.     "We urgently need the political will at the European level to finally tighten sanctions—for example, against the Russian subsidiary businesses of European companies. Sanctions need to be as effective as they are in the banking sector—which would be truly helpful," suggests Olena. Read the full article

‘Beyond the Blue UAS effort, avoiding Chinese supply lines — specifically related to batteries — could become mandatory if companies want to do business with the US Defense Department. Section 154 of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, for instance, states that beginning on Oct. 1, 2027, no funds appropriated or made available for the DoD can be spent to procure a battery produced by the listed Chinese-owned and -operated companies’. https://lnkd.in/gBkUApEh

Last year, microelectronics supplied to Russia through the #Baltic States reached several companies engaged in the production of weapons, the #Ukrainian public organization NAKO – which analyzes the composition of Russian weapons shot down and captured in Ukraine – claims in an interview with #Latvian Radio. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, there has not been a day without attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns. July of this year has been the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since October 2022, according to the United Nations (UN). 219 civilians were killed in one month alone. The most devastating attacks are the consequences of Russian missiles, "Shahed" combat drones from Iran and guided aerial bomb attacks (glide bombs). Despite the sanctions imposed by Europe, the USA and other countries, Russia still manages to obtain raw materials for its weapons. Components from Western countries are found in Russian weapons In a quiet office in the center of Kyiv, Latvian Radio met with Olena Tregub, executive director of the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission, known in Ukraine by the abbreviation 'NAKO'. The organization she represents works with Ukraine's defense industry and studies debris from Russian missiles, drones and other weapons that land in Ukraine or are captured. "We were the first organization to have access to Iran's Shahed drones, and we did a joint study with The Wall Street Journal in November 2022 that showed 80% of the electronics in Iran's Shahed drones were of US origin. At the time, it was sensational information. After that, we continued our research, we studied a lot of weapons – high-precision weapons, missiles, drones, helicopters, missile launch systems – and in fact the conclusion is this: Russia relies, still, on Western technologies or Western cooperation partners, for example Japan and Taiwan," says Tregub. When asked whether the number of sanctioned parts in Russian weapons has decreased or increased in the last two years, Tregub, referring to a study by the Kyiv School of Economics, answered that the number of these components decreased by only 9% in two and a half years. Another recent study showed that missiles and drones used by Russia to attack Ukraine contain components from more than 20 countries including China, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United States, Canada, and Iran. NAKO senior researcher Viktoriia Vyshnivska adds that it is difficult to describe the exact picture at the moment, because there are no data for this year. However, last year, in general, a decrease could be seen after the change in the US policy on the supply of certain goods to Russia. https://lnkd.in/d7pUfaXZ