Nordsint and The Insider have discovered a network of Chinese companies willing to sell critical components for the production of Russian military drones in defiance of Chinese export restrictions. These items have been subject to Chinese export controls since 2023, when Beijing passed legislation prohibiting the transfer of drones and dual-use components for military purposes to both Ukraine and Russia. In conversations with Chinese manufacturers, Nordsint posed as a prospective Russian client, explicitly stating that the procured components were intended for military production or use, while The Insider reviewed customs data for transactions from these companies.

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In recent months, the cost of Chinese fiber optic cable has risen sharply. “The price was $13 [per kilometer] before the spring festival. Nobody expected it to rise to $30 after the holiday; this is unprecedented. Because of the price increase, I lost five clients this month,” wrote the vendor.

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Russian imports of fiber optic cable accounted for 10.5% of global production in 2025. In previous years, that number did not exceed 1%. The increase is explained by the cessation of production at the Optic Fiber Systems plant in the Russian city of Saransk following Ukrainian drone attacks last April. Leonid Konik, CEO of ComNews Group, said that all optical fiber used by Russia since the attack has been imported from China.

According to Anastasia Bidzhelova, Director of Development and Operations at Telecom Birzhi, Chinese producers have raised fiber optic prices by 2.5 to 4 times for Russian customers. Oleksii Babenko, CEO of Ukrainian company Vyryi drone, stated in a March 5 interview with the outlet Militaryni that a 35 kilometer coil of fiber optic cable for drone control now costs $700 — more than the price of a Starlink terminal, which can be used on drones to combat electronic warfare systems. Chinese producers of fiber optic cable have been arming both Ukrainian and Russian forces. Trade data indicates that Hongan Group has exported multiple shipments of optical fiber to Ukrainian companies, including Shocktradestore LLC. That company, based in Bila Tserkva, is involved in the “manufacture of weapons and ammunition” and has participated in Ukrainian military procurement auctions. According to the Washington Post, exports of fiber optic cable from China to Russia have exceeded those to Ukraine by a wide margin. In August 2025, China exported 527,865 kilometers of fiber optic cable to Russia, but only 116 kilometers to Ukraine.