FT: China Takes Over Key Russian Federation Drone Manufacturer
- 30.11.2025, 15:44
The Kremlin is increasingly dependent on Beijing.
Relations between China and the Russian Federation are getting closer, it's about the countries' military-industrial complexes. A major Chinese supplier of drone components has bought a stake in one of Russia's leading drone manufacturers.
The Financial Times writes that this cooperation marks a previously unknown level of interaction between a Chinese company and a Russian military supplier.
According to a report published earlier this year by the Ukrainian think tank Center for Defense Reform in Kiev, Rustakt was the largest importer of FPV drone components in Russia between July 2023 and February 2025.
The company had previously filed documents identifying itself as the manufacturer of the VT-40 drone. According to Russian state media, the drone, whose build quality has been criticized by the military, has been given to artillery units, engineers, airborne troops and the Marines.
A drone expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Samuel Bendett, said that increased cooperation between the Russian and Chinese military-industrial complexes and Moscow's reliance on Chinese drone components meant that "there is a logic to this cooperation". Santex purchased $66 million worth of controllers and $37 million worth of DC motors.
Documents filed by Rustakt with Russian regulators also show the purchase of manufacturing equipment from China. The company has requested import certificates for metalworking machines and plastic injection molding equipment supplied by Shenzhen Kiosk Electronic.
What is known about the companies involved in the scheme
Wang Dinghua is listed as the new owner of a 5% stake in Rustakt. Meanwhile, he owns Shenzhen Minghuaxin and several other companies, including Shenzhen Kiosk Electronic. And another 95% of Rustakt was owned by businessman Pavel Nikitin. The company, is under sanctions by Ukraine and the European Union.
At the same time, Nikitin previously worked at Santex and was a shareholder before he was replaced as head of the company by a Belarusian named Egor Nikitin. According to Russian documents, Egor's surname, patronymic and date of birth match Pavel's, suggesting that the two men may be brothers.
Chinese documents analyzed by the FT show that Wang also owns a 10% stake in the Chinese company Shenzhen Nasmin Investment, while Egor owns 90%.
After journalists discovered information about Rustakt's owners and the transfer of shares, all data was removed from public registers.