The volume of Chinese spare parts supplied for combat drones used by Russia in the war against Ukraine has increased by 900% compared to last year. The Russian army is actively deploying drones on the front lines, equipped with fiber optic cables that are difficult to detect and neutralize through electronic warfare. The use of such technologies allows Russian forces to complicate the logistics of Ukrainian troops at the front, as well as to carry out attacks on civilians in frontline cities. Experts emphasize that without support from China, the effectiveness of these drones would be significantly lower.
This is reported by Finway
Record Volumes of Fiber Optic Cables for Drones
In May and June of this year, record volumes of fiber optic cables were exported from China to Russia, and in August this figure increased nearly tenfold — to 524,800 kilometers. It is estimated that such a quantity of cables could support the production of over 26,000 drones if the entire batch is used for drones. The high cost of the cargo relative to its weight indicates that the majority of these cables are intended for military purposes.
Although China also exports fiber optic cables to Ukraine, the volumes of these supplies are minimal: in August, they amounted to only 115 kilometers. Formally, Beijing has ceased official exports of finished drones to Russia; however, the supply of necessary components continues, demonstrating ongoing support from the Chinese side for the Russian military-industrial complex.
“If you look at how the front line is changing, Russia is capturing territory in chunks equal to the distance that drones can fly on fiber optics,” says Kateryna Bondar, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Decline in China’s Exports to Russia Overall
Despite the increase in supplies of components for drones, the overall export of Chinese goods to Russia continues to decline. In September, this figure dropped by 21%, with the volume of goods from China arriving in Russia amounting to $8.85 billion — the lowest level since February. The dynamics of the export decline are intensifying: in July, the decrease was 8.6% year-on-year, and in August, it was already 16.4%. For the first nine months of 2025, imports from China fell by 10.6%.