Official documents of the little-known Russian company Aero-HIT show how, thanks to cooperation with China, it was able to circumvent Western sanctions and significantly increase the production of drones for use in the war against Ukraine.
Official documents of the little-known Russian company Aero-HIT show how, thanks to cooperation with China, it was able to circumvent Western sanctions and significantly increase the production of drones for use in the war against Ukraine.
Bloomberg, which conducted this investigation, recalls that all this is happening under conditions where Beijing declares its neutrality in the war.
Aero-HIT, which has received state funding in Russia, claims that its production plant near Khabarovsk will be able to produce up to 10,000 drones per month this year, and plans to expand production with more modern and technologically advanced models.
Among the company’s products are the Veles FPV, which, according to procurement documents reviewed by Bloomberg, cost about $1,000 per drone.
At the same time, documents dating from late 2022 and June 2025 show how Moscow disguises its suppliers of components for military products by using intermediary firms operating in other sectors — such as aviation catering, agricultural goods, and seafood transportation services.
In addition, it became known that the Aero-HIT company has applied to the Ministry of Defense for financial support to expand production by localizing the production of the Autel EVO Max 4T drone, and Autel Robotics, as we recall, is one of the largest Chinese manufacturers of drones and their components.
At the same time, the Chinese company denies supplying its products to Russian firms or having any business relations with Russia. Meanwhile, the letter, which contains financial plans for investments in the amount of $90 million, notes that the Russian company has been cooperating with Autel engineers since the beginning of 2023.
«Relations between the two firms were briefly interrupted due to sanctions, but contacts with Autel personnel were restored around the end of 2024, and the parties have been in talks to localize drone production since May 2025,» Bloomberg notes.
By localizing the production of this Chinese model, Aero-HIT claims that it will be able to strengthen the production of high-tech drones in Russia and obtain Chinese technologies — firmware, settings, production and repair.
Meanwhile, in its statement, Autel Robotics said that it has never collaborated with the Russian company Aero-HIT, and is also not aware of any agreements related to the production of the Autel EVO Max 4T drone.
We will remind you that in May of this year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia can still buy Chinese DJI Mavic drones, but this opportunity is closed for Ukraine and Europe.
Meanwhile, on June 20, the State Enterprise «Defense Procurement Agency» (SOE) of the Ministry of Defense concluded contracts for the supply of Autel EVO Max 4N and Mavic 3 Pro in the «Prozorro» system for a total amount of UAH 198.23 million. Prices for Chinese drones began to decline after the winter peak.
