Moscow. The growing friendship between Russia and China is now emerging in the form of military help. Russia, which earlier depended on Iran for weapons, is now taking modern technology from China as well. Recently, Russia has developed a long-range attack drone named Garpiya-A1, in which Chinese engines and parts have been used. This drone has been deployed on military and civilian targets in Ukraine, causing damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure and killing many people.
According to media reports, IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of Russian arms manufacturer Almaz-Antey, started production of this drone from July 2023. The target was to produce more than 2,500 drones by 2024. Chinese technology has been used in Garpiya-A1. However, no response has been given by Russia in this regard.
Intelligence sources in the report informed that Garpiya-A1 has been deployed in Ukraine, where civilian and military targets have been targeted. Photos of the wreckage of Garpiya in Ukraine were also shared, although these pictures could not be independently confirmed. With this drone, Russia has tried to increase its military capabilities in Ukraine, especially to attack important infrastructure and remote targets.
A major reason behind Russia’s creation of this new drone is that during the Ukraine war, Russia had to depend on Iran’s Shahid drones. Russia received more than a thousand Shahid drones from Iran, which were used to weaken Ukraine’s air defense and attack military bases. However, Iran denied that it had given any drone to Russia for use in the Ukraine war. Now with technical cooperation from China, Russia has developed the Garpia-A1 drone, which is even more lethal and capable of precise strikes. This also reflects the growing military cooperation between Russia and China, which is a matter of concern for Western countries.