The US is imposing sanctions on Chinese companies accused of helping to produce Russian attack drones

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions Thursday against two Chinese manufacturers of drone engines and parts that the Biden administration says directly helped Russia build long-range attack drones used in the war in Ukraine .

The US has previously accused China of providing material support to Russia’s military-industrial base to sustain the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine, and the latest round of sanctions targeted “direct activities” between Beijing and Moscow, according to senior Biden administration officials away. who discussed the sanctions on condition of anonymity before the measures were announced.

Russia’s Garpiya series long-range attack drone, “developed and manufactured in the People’s Republic of China in collaboration with Russian defense companies, was used to destroy critical infrastructure during the war in Ukraine, resulting in a large number of casualties,” Matthew said State Department spokesman Miller said in a statement.

Beijing has insisted that it does not supply arms to either Ukraine or Russia, and it has defended its trade with Russia as normal and unconditional.

The U.S. is imposing sanctions on Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Company, which makes drone engines, and Redlepus Vector Industry, which worked with a Russian company already facing sanctions to facilitate the shipment of the drones to Russia.

The officials said China should have known that Russia’s TSK Vector was a “problematic actor.”

They said that the two Chinese companies had been developing long-range attack drones together with the Russians since the beginning of the year.

The government also announced sanctions against Artem Mikhailovich Yamshchikov, a Russian citizen considered the beneficial owner of TSK Vector, and the Russian company TD Vector, which was involved in facilitating the shipments, the officials say.

Didi Tang, The Associated Press