On the shipping label, the Chinese drones were billed as heavy-duty crop-dusters, the kind used by orchards and big farms. But the identity of the buyer — a Russian company that purchased a truckload of the aircraft in early May at nearly $14,000 each — hinted at other possible uses.
Democracy Dies in Darkness
In Central Asia, a hidden pipeline supplies Russia with banned tech
Moscow looks south for partners willing to help it circumvent bans on Chinese drones and German electronics
By Joby Warrick
July 18, 2023 at 8:30 p.m. EDT