Critically important technologies were received with the sanction of official Beijing.
China supplies Russia with machines and components for the production of hypersonic ballistic missiles 'Oreshnik', with which Vladimir Putin threatens the West, writes The Telegraph. The publication refers to data from Ukrainian intelligence, which discovered Chinese CNC (computer numerical control) lathes at the 'Votkinsk Plant', which, in addition to 'Oreshnik', assembles 'Iskander-M' missiles as well as intercontinental ballistic missiles 'Topol-M'. It is thanks to this equipment that Russia has been able to increase the production volumes of precision weaponry.
According to calculations by Import Genius cited by The Telegraph, Beijing has transferred various equipment and components for weapon creation to Moscow worth $10.3 billion since the beginning of the war. This amount includes machine tool supplies worth $3.1 billion, microchips and memory boards worth $4.9 billion, as well as piezoelectric crystals used in radars and electronic warfare (EW) systems, and telescopic sights that can be mounted on weapons. Additionally, China has sent key testing instruments to Russia — multimeters and oscilloscopes, which are used to check the efficiency and functionality of weapons and microelectronics.
In recent years, Russia has become much more dependent on China, says senior analyst at the Open Source Centre Gary Sommerville. According to Nick Reynolds, a researcher at the British Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), imports from China are of such high importance to Russia because the equipment at many Russian factories is outdated and does not allow for the rapid and quality production of aircraft and other military equipment.
'Precision machine engineering is the most vulnerable area for Russia,' noted senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment Michael Kofman. According to him, without Chinese supplies, it would be very difficult for Russia to continue the war with Ukraine.
Russian military forces first used the 'Oreshnik' missile to strike Ukraine in November 2024. The second strike was carried out on January 9 of this year against a facility in the Lviv region. Ukrainian intelligence counted up to five launch-ready missiles of this type in Russia last fall. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the deployment of the missile system in Belarus.
The Pentagon noted that 'Oreshnik' is a modified version of the RS-26 'Rubezh' intercontinental ballistic missile, which was tested back in 2011. The British Ministry of Defense held the same view, pointing to the limited number of such missiles in Russia. Sources from The Moscow Times within the Russian government stated that the use of 'Oreshnik' and the subsequent media frenzy were part of a Kremlin propaganda campaign aimed at intimidating Western politicians and the public.
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