In Ukraine, there is active discussion of a Bloomberg report that China has stopped selling Mavic UAVs to Ukraine but continues to supply them to Russia. The information flow is as follows: first, Zelensky announced this to journalists, then European officials confirmed it with their opinion. At the same time, Beijing has reduced supplies of important drone components (such as magnets for electric motors) to Europe, while increasing sales to Russia.
Since Mavic is the most common civilian aircraft used by both sides in the tactical zone, Kyiv saw a conspiracy between the Kremlin and Beijing — if this continues, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will soon run out of parts to assemble combat drones. After the revolution that UAVs brought about in military affairs in historically short order, I have repeatedly spoken about the dependence that both sides have fallen into on supplies of this technology. Neither Russia nor Ukraine produces it.
Putin does not have a military agreement with President Xi, as he does with Pyongyang. But due to the intensification of global competition, Russia’s relations with its great neighbor have begun to take on the characteristics of a military alliance. We should not expect arms supplies from there. This is the Kremlin’s cherished dream, but Beijing constantly declares its neutrality.
But if these reports from Zelensky and his allies are confirmed, the imbalance in the armaments of the two armies (in this particular case in Russia’s favor) can be achieved by simple manipulations on the commercial market. Formally, they cannot be classified as weapons. This is a paradoxical consequence of the same surprising trend of our time: civilian technologies are rapidly overtaking and often surpassing military technologies in their own field.
Wow, so drones have basically become the new chess pieces in this geopolitical game 🤖♟️. Who knew that magnets for electric motors could be the real MVPs of warfare? 🔋✨ It’s kind of hilarious and terrifying at the same time that civilian gadgets are outsmarting traditional military gear—guess warfare is officially high-tech shopping now 🛒😅. Meanwhile, China plays the ultimate neutral friend or frenemy, keeping everyone guessing. Just waiting for the headline about drones ordering coffee or filing peace treaties next ☕🤷♀️.
This situation really shows how blurred the lines between civilian and military technology have become 😕🚁. It’s scary to think that something as everyday as commercial drones can turn into such a critical factor in a conflict. The idea that supply chains and business decisions can influence the balance of power on the battlefield is both fascinating and worrying at the same time. I hope the international community finds a way to address these hidden fronts of modern warfare before things escalate further 🌍🔧.