China is reportedly preparing to produce large-scale “kamikaze” unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the Russian military, likely for use in war in Ukrainereports a Der Spiegel report published in the weekly magazine’s issue out today.

Negotiations are underway between Russian military officials and Chinese manufacturer of such aircraft Xi’an Bingo Intelligent Aviation Technology, the magazine said, without naming its sources.

Bingo is reportedly ready to build 100 ZT-180 UAVs, test them and deliver them to the Russian Ministry of Defense by April, the same publication continues.

This model is characterized as similar to the Shahed 136, which is manufactured in Iran, according to military experts cited by Spiegel. It can carry explosives weighing between 35 and 50 kg.

In a second phase, Chinese industry controlled by the Chinese military proposes to transfer materials and know-how to Russia to be produced in that country, according to the magazine’s information.

This would allow Moscow to build around 100 drones of this type on a monthly basis, the text added.

When asked by Spiegel to comment on this information, the Chinese Foreign Ministry neither confirmed nor directly denied that negotiations are underway between Russia and Bingo, but emphasized that “the US is the country of origin of most of the weaponry used on the battlefields in Ukraine”.

However, he continued, the Americans “say from time to time that China can supply Russia with weapons. This is a well-known maneuver,” said the Foreign Ministry, whose response was relayed to Spiegel by the Chinese embassy in Germany.

In Beijing, a representative of Chinese diplomacy returned questions today about the magazine’s report. “There is a large amount of misinformation being spread about this,” Wang Wenbin said. “We should be very wary of who is trafficking it,” he added at the accredited editors’ briefing.

The US this week accused China of planning to supply Russia with weapons to support its attack on Ukraine, which Beijing denied.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on China not to cultivate “illusions” regarding the war in Ukraine, recalling that Beijing has so far not condemned the invasion of Russia. He also emphasized that he has told the Chinese government that if it supplies Russia with weapons, Berlin and the EU will consider it “unacceptable” and there will be consequences, a message identical to that of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

According to Spiegel, another industry controlled by the Chinese military is likely to supply Moscow with parts for the Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet.