China Supplying Weapons-Grade Military Equipment to Russian Arms Factories – Claims Ukrainian Intelligence Chief

China Supplying Weapons-Grade Military Equipment to Russian Arms Factories – Claims Ukrainian Intelligence Chief

Ukraine has confirmed that China is supplying various critical materials to Russian military factories, according to a report published on Monday by Ukraine’s state news agency Ukrinform, quoting Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service.

“We have information that China is supplying machinery for equipment manufacturing, specialized chemicals, gunpowder, and certain components specifically for the defense production industry,” Ivashchenko said.
“We have verified intelligence on 20 Russian factories,” he added.

Reuters has reached out to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, China—the world’s second-largest economy—has deepened its trade and economic ties with Moscow. This relationship has helped Russia offset the impact of Western sanctions.

Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly accused China for the first time of supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia.

China dismissed the allegation as "baseless," but Kyiv responded by imposing sanctions on three Chinese companies.

Ivashchenko further stated that Ukrainian intelligence possesses information on at least five instances of cooperation between Russian and Chinese aviation sectors during 2024–2025. These include the supply of machinery, spare parts, and technical documentation.

He also revealed intelligence on six large shipments of specialized chemical substances, though he did not provide further details.