Chinese and Russian companies are developing and testing an attack drone modeled on the Iranian-made Shahed for shipment to Russia, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous European officials familiar with the matter.
While the name of the unmanned aircraft under development hasn’t been revealed, Bloomberg suggests that Chinese defense websites and media outlets refer to the Shahed-like drone as the “Sunflower 200.”
The companies involved in the attack drone development were not identified in Bloomberg’s report.
European officials cited by Bloomberg expressed concerns that China could produce attack drones “at a far greater rate” than Russia or Iran, which worries Ukraine’s allies.
China’s Position and Reactions
China has not condemned Russia’s use of thousands of Shahed drones in its invasion of Ukraine. Instead, Beijing has positioned itself as a neutral party in the war and previously presented a peace plan, which Kyiv and its Western allies largely dismissed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Wednesday, “we don’t react in any way” to the report, according to the state-run TASS news agency. Russia’s defense and foreign ministries did not respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington denied that Beijing provides weapons to Russia or Ukraine, emphasizing that it strictly controls exports of dual-use goods. Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu remarked, “It is quite clear to the international community who is calling for dialogue and striving for peace, and who is fueling the fight and inciting confrontation.”
International Concerns
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last month that Chinese President Xi Jinping promised him not to supply Russia with weapons.
In May, the United Kingdom claimed that China was sending or preparing to send “lethal aid” to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine. At the time, the United States questioned that assessment.
According to Bloomberg, Washington believes Beijing sends Moscow kits that can be converted into attack drones and is still considering whether to send fully built drones.
