EU has ‘conclusive’ proof of armed drones for Russia being made in China: sources
The evidence is said to be ‘convincing’ and ‘credible’, but it is not yet clear whether the production of the drones was approved by Beijing
The European Union has “conclusive” evidence that armed drones are being produced for the Russian military in China’s western Xinjiang region and has demanded answers from Beijing, several diplomatic sources have confirmed.
While it is unclear at this stage whether this was approved by Beijing, several sources suggested that it would be difficult to conduct business of this nature without the go-ahead from the central government.
“We have had reports from intelligence sources on the existence of a factory inside China producing drones that are shipped to Russia, and used in the war in Ukraine, but we don’t have more than that,” said a senior EU official.
Multiple EU diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the evidence was “conclusive”, “credible” and “convincing”, and that there would need to be serious consequences for Beijing.
The senior EU official, however, said three points still needed to be firmly established before it decided on a course of action.
