China is aiding Russia in evading sanctions and supplying drone components, according to Estonia's intelligence agency.

China is assisting the aggressor country, Russia, in producing military drones, becoming a hub for smuggling essential Western components for the Russian armed forces.

This is mentioned in the annual report of Estonia's foreign intelligence service on national security, as quoted by Reuters.

Approximately 80% of such components arriving in Russia now come from China, according to the document. Previously, Ukrainian reports suggested that around 60% of foreign parts found in Russian weaponry on the battlefield in Ukraine were sourced through China. The report states that China is the primary hub for importing high-tech goods and dual-use items for Russia, enabling it to circumvent Western sanctions.

China's interests lie in preventing Russia's defeat in the war in Ukraine, as such an outcome would be a victory for the United States, which is China's main competitor, said Kaupo Roosin, the director general of the service, to reporters.

The report indicates that Russia lacks domestic alternatives for drone components, thus they are primarily acquired from the West. The Chinese government is believed to facilitate covert transfers of dual-use components through private companies, according to intelligence sources. This approach, as noted in the report, is likely to reduce Russia's dependence on Western components and could undermine the West's ability to influence this area in the long run. According to Estonian intelligence, Western companies' offices in China are likely involved in these schemes.

The report also states that Russia is investing heavily in expanding drone production, including the development of an advanced domestic version of Iranian one-way drones.

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that China is helping Russia maintain its heavy industry. For instance, the Chinese engineering giant Sinosteel Engineering & Technology Co. and hundreds of Chinese workers are constructing a new coke-chemical plant in Magnitogorsk, costing approximately $840 million.