Bloomberg: China Massively Supplies Russian Federation With Drones Via An Unexpected Country

The gray cardinal is in play.

Thailand has become a new key supply route for Chinese drones to Russia after the imposition of Western sanctions. This is evidenced by an analysis of trade data released by Bloomberg.

In the first 11 months of 2025, Russia imported $125 million worth of drones from Thailand - that's 88% of all Thai drone exports and eight times more than a year earlier. At the same time, China supplied Thailand with $186 million worth of drones over the same period, accounting for almost all of the country's imports of these products.

The growth in shipments began after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While then Thailand exported less than $1 million worth of drones and none made it to Russia, the country has now effectively become a transshipment point for the Russian market.

Intermediary companies and sanctions

One of the largest importers of drones from China to Thailand is Skyhub Technologies. According to trade platform Big Trade Data, the company imported $25 million worth of drones in 2025, particularly from Chinese manufacturer Autel Robotics. Among the shipments are hundreds of EVO Max 4T models, which are formally positioned as civilian but, according to journalists, are also used in combat conditions.

Autel said it does not cooperate with the Russian military and has a system in place to comply with international sanctions. The company notes that its drones are equipped with geofencing, which blocks flights in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict zone.

Another major player in the trade is China Thai Corp. which imported $144 million worth of drones from China in 2025. In October, it came under UK sanctions for supplying technology to the Russian military. The firm subsequently changed its name to Lanto Global Logistics.

Sanctions circumvention and "third countries"

According to Maria Shagina of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the scheme involving third countries is a typical method of circumventing sanctions.

"The countries may change, but the methods do not: redirection through third countries using fictitious companies," she said.

The U.S. State Department said China provides about 80 percent of the dual-use components Russia uses in the war. Beijing officially denies military support for Moscow.

Rising ties with Russia

Despite sanctions pressure, economic ties between Thailand and Russia are growing. A record 1.9 million Russian tourists visited the country last year, and Russian citizens are actively investing in Thai real estate. Moscow is also opening a Russian House cultural center in Thailand and expanding educational programs.

Analysts say the growth in shipments through Southeast Asia demonstrates the difficulty of limiting Russia's access to dual-use technology.

"The war of attrition is a battle of resources. Russia is scaling up," Shagina summarized.

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