The growing friendship between Russia and China is now coming to the fore in the form of military aid. 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 called Garpiya-A1, which uses Chinese engines and parts. This drone has been deployed at military and civilian bases 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.
In the report, intelligence sources informed that Garpiya-A1 has been deployed in Ukraine, where civilian and military targets have been targeted. Pictures 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.
One of the major reasons behind the creation of this new drone by Russia is that during the Ukraine war, Russia had to depend on Iran’s Shahid drone. Russia received more than a thousand Shahid drones from Iran, which were used to weaken Ukraine’s air defense and attack military targets. However, Iran denied that it had given any drone to Russia for use in the Ukraine war. Now with the technical cooperation of China, Russia has developed the Garpiya-A1 drone, which is capable of hitting even more lethal and accurate targets. It also reflects the growing military cooperation between Russia and China, which is a matter of concern for Western countries. ( PLC & GT )
