A Bloomberg review of internal contracts, shipping records and technical blueprints shows Russia’s Khabarovsk-based drone maker Aero-HIT has been working with several Chinese suppliers, including engineers from Autel Robotics, since late 2022 to manufacture and localise combat unmanned aerial vehicles. The documents outline secret technology transfers and concealed supply routes that allow Moscow to skirt Western sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine. The findings align with a new assessment by Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, which says Chinese-made electronics now account for 60–65% of the components recovered from recently downed Shahed-class (Geran-2) drones. U.S. parts have fallen to second place, while Swiss equipment ranks third. Investigators also report upgraded satellite-navigation antennas and on-board 3G modems that transmit flight data via messaging apps, improvements designed to counter Ukrainian electronic-warfare defences. The expanding Chinese role was highlighted on 7 July when a Russian drone strike that damaged the Chinese Consulate in Odesa was found to contain parts stamped with a 23 May 2025 Chinese manufacture date—less than two weeks before the attack—underscoring the speed and resilience of the supply chain despite trade restrictions. Kyiv argues the evidence shows Moscow’s growing dependence on Chinese technology for key weapons systems and calls for tighter export-control enforcement. Beijing maintains it is neutral in the conflict, while neither the Kremlin nor the companies named in the documents have publicly commented on the reports.