Ukraine sanctions five Chinese firms for aiding Russian drone production

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree imposing sanctions on five Chinese companies July 8 accused of supplying components used in Russian Shahed-type drones targeting Ukraine.

According to the decree, the sanctioned firms include Central Asia Silk Road International Trade, Suzhou Ecod Precision Manufacturing, Shenzhen Royo Technology, Shenzhen Jinduobang Technology, and Ningbo BLIN Machinery, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media. 

The decision follows an announcement by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), which reported recovering Chinese-made parts from drones downed during a July 4 air assault on Kyiv. The full list was published on the Presidential Office’s website along with the formal resolution from Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.

Russia has increasingly relied on domestically assembled drones modeled on Iran’s Shahed-136—a loitering munition frequently used to strike Ukrainian cities. Despite Western export controls, many of the components used in these drones are sourced globally. Kyiv has repeatedly warned that such parts continue to enter Russia through third countries not aligned with Western sanctions.

“Russia’s ability to maintain and scale weapons production is largely fueled by a continued flow of Chinese components and raw materials,” said Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president’s commissioner for sanctions, in a briefing on July 7.

Zelenskyy has consistently accused China of supporting Russia’s military campaign, claiming that Beijing has blocked drone exports to Ukraine while continuing to supply them to Moscow. On May 29, he reiterated these concerns, pointing to China’s growing logistical and technological assistance to Russia.

This is not the first time Ukraine has targeted Chinese companies over alleged links to the Kremlin’s war machine. Several others have been blacklisted in recent months.

By Sabina Mammadli