A little-known Russian company called Aero-HIT has built a vast supply network with Chinese partners to provide thousands of drones for Russia’s war against Ukraine, bypassing Western sanctions and enabling the Kremlin to scale up its drone attacks.
The documents obtained by Bloomberg reveal how Russia tapped friendly ties with China to get access to drone parts, technical knowledge, and manufacturing capacity – even as Beijing publicly claims it’s not arming either side.
The documents, which include company memos and government correspondence dated between late 2022 and June 2025, describe Aero-HIT’s rapid rise into one of Russia’s top drone producers.
Its flagship product, the Veles FPV drone, is already being used in frontline operations, especially in the occupied Kherson region, where reports indicate it’s also been used to hunt civilians.
Aero-HIT has reportedly received Russian state funding and aims to produce up to 10,000 drones per month in its plant near the Chinese border in Khabarovsk.
The company also pitched a plan to the Defense Ministry to localize production of the Autel EVO Max 4T, a Chinese drone originally designed for civilian use but valued in combat for its resistance to electronic warfare.
While Chinese drone maker Autel Robotics denies any official ties to Aero-HIT and says it stopped all business with Russia in early 2022, documents suggest Aero-HIT worked with Autel engineers starting in early 2023 and continued talks into 2025, aiming to produce 30,000 drones annually.
The Russian Ministry of Defense did not comment on the findings.
Sanctioned Players and Hidden Partners
Aero-HIT was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2023, which said its drones were being used by Russian troops in Kherson. Chinese firms involved in supplying Aero-HIT – including Shenzhen Huasheng Industry and intermediaries like Renovatsio-Invest – have also been blacklisted.
Moscow has reportedly masked drone production through unrelated industries like airline catering, seafood exports, and agriculture, making it harder for Western authorities to track.
One such case involved Aeromar-DV, a catering firm for Aeroflot, which ordered 100 Veles drones in March on behalf of a military unit in Pskov.
Russia’s business registry links Aero-HIT to Komax, a firm controlled by Konstantin Basyuk, a former KGB officer and senator from occupied Kherson. In 2023, the European Union sanctioned Basyuk for his role in Russia’s occupation policy.
Harbin Institute of Technology and Kremlin Support
Talks to build a joint Russian-Chinese drone facility began in 2022, involving Komax, China’s Harbin Comprehensive Bonded Zone, and the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), a prestigious Chinese engineering school sanctioned by the US for defense tech work.
Documents show a Russian delegation visited HIT and drone companies in China in May 2023. The project was later recognized as a priority by Yury Trutnev, Putin’s envoy to the Far East, who promised customs help for importing parts tax-free.
After initial Chinese partners backed out in mid-2023 due to tightened export controls, other Chinese companies stepped in to continue supplying parts. Despite new trade restrictions, production in Khabarovsk ramped up to 300 drones per month and continues to grow.
In early 2024, Aero-HIT showcased its work to the Kremlin during a small business forum held amid Russia’s presidential campaign, though no mention of Chinese involvement was made.
Zelensky: China Cut Ukraine Off, Not Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in May that China has cut drone sales to Ukraine but continues shipping to Russia. Ukraine believes Moscow is working to increase drone production to 500 units per day, with devastating consequences on the battlefield.
Despite sanctions and international pressure, Russia’s drone campaign has intensified. In some attacks, Moscow has launched up to 500 drones in a single night, killing civilians and destroying infrastructure across Ukrainian cities.
