Kremlin’s secret drones project

Russia has established a weapons programme in China to develop and produce long-range attack drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), for use in the war against Ukraine

  
Vladimir Putin: “Whoever reacts faster to demands on the battlefield wins.” Russian President (inset) announces that his military received around 140,000 drones in 2023
and aims to increase this number tenfold within year

Garpiya-3: Prototype launched in first half of 2023

Limbach L-550 E engine. Originally designed and manufactured by German company. Now produced in China by Shenzhen-based Juhang Aviation Technology and Redlepus Vector Industries

Garpiya-3: Subsidiary of Russian state-owned weapons company Almaz-Antey (above) has developed and flight-tested new drone model called Garpiya-3 (G3)

Payload: 50kg explosive charge

Take-off weight: Less than 300kg 
Maximum range: 2,000km
Top speed: 185km/h

Apr 2022-Dec 2023: Russian defence ministry pays 1 billion rubles (€10m) for development of factory in China to produce G-3 drones

Bolt-on fins
 
       
Sources: DroneXL, Kyiv Post, Reuters 
Pictures: Getty Images, Russian media 
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