Are Russian soldiers wearing China-linked body armour in war against Ukraine?

It’s Day 399 of the Russia-Ukraine war and the battle wages on. While Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to urge the West for more weapons and airpower in order to defend itself from Moscow’s firepower, it has now emerged that Chinese body armour components are being sent to Russia and used by soldiers fighting in Ukraine.The investigation carried out by Politico highlights how Moscow is relying on Beijing in the ongoing war. In fact, this is not the first time there have been claims of China supplying aid to Russia — in the past, there have been reports that state-owned companies have supplied Russia with drones.We delve deeper into the matter and explain if China is indeed providing military aid to Russia and what it means for the relentless war.What the investigation revealed?A report by Politico Europe reveals that Russian entities received around 1,000 assault rifles, 12 tonnes of body armour, and drone parts from Chinese companies after the war in Ukraine began in early 2022.The media outlet’s report added that the body armour was routed to Russia via Turkey.Politico in its investigation found that Chinese companies — Yantai Tayho Advanced Materials Ltd, a producer of specialised fibre, and Beijing Tongyizhong New Material Technology Corp, which is a subsidiary of Beijing’s state-owned investment holding corporations — had shipped parts for body armour manufacturing to Klass. Klass is a Russian company manufacturing body armour that has ties to the country’s national guard and law enforcement.Trade and customs data reviewed by the news outlet showed that the Moscow-based Klass had imported parts such as aramid fibres — which is used in Kevlar vests — several times in 2022, including in November and December.Klass-manufactured body armour has shown up on the Ukraine battlefield according to photos and videos posted online. Moreover, some Ukrainians are selling these body vests on eBay, saying they took them from the battlefield.[caption id="attachment_12370332" align="alignnone" width="640"] A Ukrainian soldier, supported by armoured personnel carriers, mans a checkpoint near the town of Slaviansk in eastern Ukraine. File image/Reuters[/caption]One of the sellers told Politico, “This bulletproof vest was used in the Russian army and was obtained by the Ukrainian military during the counter offensive in the Kharkiv region. During the liberation of the city of Izyum in one of the houses where the [Russians] temporarily lived, they ran away so quickly that they abandoned their things.”Also read: How Chinese brands are replacing iPhones and Audis in Russia’s sanction-hit economyThe presence of the equipment also poses an awkward situation for the United States. This is because of the dual use of body armour as commercial as well as military equipment.The report comes after US officials had said last month that China was considering providing lethal aid to Russia to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine. United States secretary of state Antony Blinken had said that there were apprehensions over China’s support of Russia’s military, specifically that Beijing is considering supplying Moscow with “lethal support.”Blinken was quoted as telling CBS News when pressed on what type of ‘lethal aid, “There’s a whole gamut of things that — that fit in that category, everything from ammunition to the weapons themselves.”What do officials say?There have been no official statements made on the investigation. However, China in the past has refuted all claims of providing any form of military aid to Russia. The Chinese embassy in Washington was quoted as saying Politico that Beijing “is not a party to the crisis, and has not provided weapons to either side of the conflict.”“China did not create the crisis,” spokesperson Liu Pengyu was quoted as saying, adding that Beijing is “committed to promoting talks for peace.”When asked earlier about the presence of Chinese drones and body armour in Russia, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby had said that the US had not seen evidence that suggested the items had ended up on the battlefield.[caption id="attachment_12370342" align="alignnone" width="640"] During this war, Russia has used drones supplied by China. File image/AP[/caption]What support has China given Russia?Despite China’s outright refusal of providing military to Russia, there have been reports that Beijing has been sending help in the form of drones.In February, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) had published an extensive report that state-owned companies in Beijing were sending nimble drones to Russia for use in the Ukraine war. Another New York Times report stated that since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China has sold more than $12 million (Rs 99 crore) in drones and drone parts to the country.The WSJ report stated that the drones arriving on the front lines were from Russian distributors supplied by Shenzhen, China-based Da-Jiang Innovations Science & Technology Co, known as DJI, while others are transported through the United Arab Emirates.There have also been news reports about other covert assistance Beijing is providing the Kremlin. It has been reported in the past that Chinese enterprises were providing navigation equipment, jamming technology, radar systems and fighter-jet parts to their Russian counterparts. It also reported that millions of chips — central to modern military equipment — have made its way to Russia through China.In the past, the US had sanctioned a Chinese company for giving satellite imagery to the Wagner Group, the Russian private military force now heavily involved in the conflict.[caption id="attachment_12370362" align="alignnone" width="640"] China has stated that it is 'neutral' in the war. However, Xi Jinping's visit to Russia and also its covert assistance to the Kremlin suggests otherwise. File image/AP[/caption]What about China’s peace proposal?It’s interesting to note that China continues to provide covert military assistance to the Kremlin even while it proposes peace between Russia and Ukraine. During the recently-concluded visit by Xi Jinping to Moscow to meet his ‘good friend’ Vladimir Putin, the Chinese leader had pushed forth his 12-point proposal.Also read: Russia-China stitches 'alliance': What this means for US hegemonyIn fact, Putin had welcomed the proposal and said, “We believe that many of the provisions of the peace plan put forward by China are consonant with Russian approaches and can be taken as the basis for a peaceful settlement when they are ready for that in the West and in Kyiv. However, so far we see no such readiness from their side.”As James Hodson, a member of the Yermak-McFaul International Expert Group on Russian Sanctions and chief executive of the AI for Good Foundation, told the New York Times, “What we’ve seen from the Chinese is high-level statements about wanting an end to the war, but behind the scenes they’ve used the opportunity to take over trade channels that once went through Europe and the United States.”With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.