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News & Current Events Apr 21, 2026 at 7:45 AM

Hackers Breach Russian Ministry Call, Reveal China Supplies ‘90%’ of Drone Electronics

Posted by pheexio

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DoruProgramatoru Apr 21, 2026 +5436
I mean yeah, China is the real w***** of all the wars that are happeing
5436
inspired_apathy Apr 21, 2026 +2141
China supplies anyone who can pay, including Ukraine.
2141
GenuineLittlepip Apr 21, 2026 +334
* Rule of Acquisition #34: War is good for business. * Rule of Acquisition #35: Peace is good for business.
334
polopolo05 Apr 21, 2026 +100
dont believe them look up Quark rule 34.
100
Wernher-von-Kerman Apr 21, 2026 +24
One must thoroughly research
24
polopolo05 Apr 21, 2026 +12
Yes, if you cant find the answer... I also suggest trying, star trek rule 34, DS9 rule 34, tng rule 34, voy rule 34, and borg rule 34 just for good measure.
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Trixles Apr 21, 2026 +4
Wow, so thorough with your research! . . . you must be quite the academic ;)
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_DrDigital_ Apr 21, 2026 +12
I thought rule 34 was not about profit but about inflation? EDIT: just checked and yeah it is, just search "rule34 inflation".
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greiton Apr 21, 2026 +9
I love that the ferengi out rationalized the vulcan diplomat by putting it in economic terms.
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TSSalamander Apr 22, 2026 +2
Fundamentally IR Crisis Bargaining theory and a lot of economic theory are the same system. They're also going to experience overlap because well, the crisis involves economic factors. Genuinely social science is so interesting and also so absurdly under developed.
2
masterventris Apr 21, 2026 +9
Another rule that is applicable: The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy. No more, no less.
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cosmic_sheriff Apr 21, 2026 +2
Thanks, It's easy to mix them up.
2
Caspica Apr 21, 2026 +774
Nothing like some good-old war profiteering. 
774
CockTortureCuck Apr 21, 2026 +343
As always, it's just bad if someone else is profiting.
343
melkor237 Apr 21, 2026 +396
Yeah lmao, a major reason for the US’s rise in power in the 20th century was being the prime supplier of war material in ww1 and 2
396
abellapa Apr 21, 2026 +217
That and being the only major Power not Destroyed by ww2
217
littlesaint Apr 21, 2026 +58
Many forgot that WW1 totaly destroyed UK, France, Germany and Russia as well, but more so their economy. Especially UK and Germany, UK got a larger empire but crashed economy. Germanys economy the same, the final straw was the crashed economy in USA, which indirectly led to Hitler etc. And Russia fell apart so much during WW1 it ceased to exist, civil war turned into USSR.
58
Dr_Trogdor Apr 21, 2026 +155
The major reason the US is in power is because we rolled a 12 on the map perks. No one on the planet comes close to the easy mode we have in terms of usable space and resources. It's just a shame we're squandering it so badly.
155
this_is_greenman Apr 21, 2026 +105
It’s not being squandered badly, it’s being squandered exactly to plan
105
meesta_masa Apr 21, 2026 +16
Yarp.
16
AlltheBent Apr 21, 2026 +10
sigh....f***. I love it hear sometimes, I hate it here sometimes
10
Dr_Trogdor Apr 21, 2026 +4
I know the feeling.
4
JoeHooversWhiteness Apr 21, 2026 +5
Have you considered not being one of the poors?
5
Streamjumper Apr 21, 2026 +3
Should have rerolled their starting perks til they got the optimal build. Unless you're shooting for hard mode there's no excuse otherwise. /s
3
_HiWay Apr 21, 2026 +9
and natural defense of an entire ocean to either side, a relatively small southern border compared to country side and a relatively sparse population to the north border.
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Dr_Trogdor Apr 21, 2026 +11
Imagine if they had been working with Mexico for the past 50 years to improve relations and security instead of this unsustainable bullshit we've been doing.
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MaxGoldFilms Apr 21, 2026 +7
Our river system alone, (not that we use it to maximum efficiency), allows easy access and c**** transport to those resources.
7
Auzzie_almighty Apr 21, 2026 +6
Eh, there’s also the historical focus on Logistics that US culture has because of that geography. Our postal service was historically one of the greatest in the world. Even our food culture was historically focused on energy dense, non-perishable, Logistically-perfect ingredients like sugar and saturated fats. That cultural core of logistic was absolutely perfect for taking the lead when globalization hit the field
6
FurinaFootWorshiper Apr 21, 2026 +4
Tbh India and China also have a fuckload of resources but America has their own defense system as the Atlantic ocean on one side and Pacific on the other. There's a reason why both of these countries have 4-5 times the population of US.
4
Kikujiroo Apr 21, 2026 +8
I don't think India or China has the same amount of arable lands per capita, oil and gas etc. as the US do. Also the US have the "luck" of not having systemic rivals at their doorsteps.
8
FurinaFootWorshiper Apr 21, 2026 +4
>Also the US have the "luck" of not having systemic rivals at their doorsteps. That's US' biggest advantage above both the countries by far. It just won the geographical l******. India and China have massive resources, but also an abundance rivals around each other, meanwhile America just sits on a massive resource which part of the world without any rivals that can even hope to challenge it's authority.
4
PiccoloAwkward465 Apr 21, 2026 +2
It's become a double-edged sword in a sense. Yes, great for defense and overall protection from threats. But leads to Americans feeling weirdly disconnected from the rest of the world, thus our weird quasi-isolationist recent policy. Very global when it comes to bombs, however.
2
Woozah77 Apr 21, 2026 +2
Or the number of natural deep water ports US has.
2
Few-Sheepherder-1655 Apr 21, 2026 +18
Not entirely. The us really only produced small arms up until ww2
18
lurkinglurkerwholurk Apr 21, 2026 +52
“Hey guys, I have this loan, this ‘martial plan’ to help you guys recover. Want in?” - America and the start of a ~~decade~~ century of soft power.
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MedicineExtension925 Apr 21, 2026 +58
Marshall
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ours Apr 21, 2026 +30
> a century of soft power Trump is shoving that power straight to the trash.
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ZeroedCool Apr 21, 2026 +10
The reason the Marshall Plan was enacted was because a poor society with unmet needs was susceptible to communism. Imagine lol
10
UltraCarnivore Apr 21, 2026 +26
One man's trash, another China's treasure.
26
Raesong Apr 21, 2026 +16
"Why is my power soft? I want it to be hard!" - Donald Trump, totally *not* talking about his p****.
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Mr0z23 Apr 21, 2026 +4
The United States' power is first and foremost in its economy, not its military. Thats why this whole war in the middle east is so frustrating, Trump incorrectly thinks he can use martial force to achieve his objectives.
4
WinterWontStopComing Apr 21, 2026 +3
Martian
3
ShreksArsehole Apr 21, 2026 +16
They also loaned all the money to support all the countries that were going bust defending themselves. I heard a fun story that the only reason the US got involved was because it was starting to look like the countries they were loaning were going to lose the war, and they'll never see their loans repaid..
16
Korashy Apr 21, 2026 +8
That's kinda true for WW1 and woulda likely been true for WW2 as well if the Japanese didn't int off a cliff
8
Caspica Apr 21, 2026 +11
I think war profiteering is bad no matter who does it. 
11
gartenzweagxl Apr 21, 2026 +29
well, someone has to make a profit otherwise there would be no point in all the killing
29
KallistiTMP Apr 21, 2026 +44
The article indicates it was referencing the basic raw material electronic components. I get that everyone wants to hate on China because McCarthyism is cool again now, but this is just a broadly true statement about literally everything. 90 of raw material electronic components for *goddamn anything* come from China. It's a statement about how Russia's manufacturing industry barely exists anymore because they offshored everything to China, just like every other capitalist country under the sun has.
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unknown_pigeon Apr 21, 2026 +8
War as a Business (WaaB)
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NoTourist5 Apr 21, 2026 +7
time honored tradition that all superpowers enjoy
7
philodendrin Apr 21, 2026 +9
Learned it from the US, except we keep the really high tech for ourselves. Sell some of our friends our leftovers.
9
polopolo05 Apr 21, 2026 +2
Rules of acquisition, rule 34 - war is good for business.
2
greedy_mf Apr 21, 2026 +116
Yeah, the title suggests China must pick a side. While understandable it’s also quite unrealistic.
116
HelicopterNo9453 Apr 21, 2026 +161
China picked China. They will gladly get paid to let Russia weaken themselves. Some russian cities / regions in the east won't be russian in the future.
161
picardo85 Apr 21, 2026 +60
>China picked China. They will gladly get paid to let Russia weaken themselves. Some russian cities / regions in the east won't be russian in the future. Much like India picks the side of India. They don't give a shit about the Russian-West conflict. If they can profit from it, they will.
60
green_dragon527 Apr 21, 2026 +24
Yup. China makes front page but Iran had India on its list of "friendly nations" whose tankers would be allowed to pass through.
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AspectSpiritual9143 Apr 21, 2026 +12
chinese is moving out their own north east fast so stop projecting. if they dont want to live in their own east why would they want to live in russian east
12
dedicated-pedestrian Apr 21, 2026 +14
Only thing that comes to mind is resources, which is less living there and more having access to it. But at that point just have Russia do the unearthing and have them sell it to you on the c****
14
Queltis6000 Apr 21, 2026 +8
>why would they want to live in russian east Oil, gas, fresh water and other resources is my guess. Plus historical ties.
8
greedy_mf Apr 21, 2026 +9
What a delusional take. Whatever economic hardships are coming, I don’t see even a patch of the land being taken away from a nuclear armed state.
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that_guy124 Apr 21, 2026 +19
Would anyone have predicted a collapse of the soviet union the same way it happend?
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greedy_mf Apr 21, 2026 +2
If that’s your way of saying that no one knows for sure what’s going to happen until it happens, then I agree.
2
IntermittentCaribu Apr 21, 2026 +15
Russia/USSR lost quite a few patches of land after 1989 somehow.
15
tellsyoutogetfucked Apr 21, 2026 +11
It literally already happened to Russia before. If a second collapse comes a lot more of the republics will try to slip away. You seriously underestimate how wrong things go when a country no longer has the economic ability to protect its interests.
11
Chaplain-Freeing Apr 21, 2026 +16
> I don’t see even a patch of the land being taken away from a nuclear armed state. Ukraine managed it for a period in 2024.
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HelicopterNo9453 Apr 21, 2026 +6
Maybe people will voluntarily leave a sinking ship. Who knows. It is the same game of chicken that Russia is playing with the west. Currently Putin is the crazy actor that keeps people on the toes. But leaders die and the internal struggle for power can be used to create facts. In today's world, even the most delusional takes can become reality. China extending in all directions is not the wildest take.
6
devi83 Apr 21, 2026 +11
**China is not supplying both sides equally.** Russia is far more dependent on, and benefits far more from, Chinese drone components and supply chains.
11
iuuznxr Apr 21, 2026 +69
Wrong. China stopped selling drones and other critical components to Ukraine. > China has also accelerated its support for domestic Russian drone production, while sharply reducing sales to Ukraine. [[1](https://www.cfr.org/articles/china-russia-and-ukraine-october-2025)] > While on paper, China has limited its sales of drones and drone components to both Kyiv and Moscow, it also provided Russia with $14.5 million in direct drone shipments in 2023, compared to just $200,000 for Ukraine, likely through loopholes and third-party vendors. [[2](https://www.csis.org/analysis/why-chinas-uav-supply-chain-restrictions-weaken-ukraines-negotiating-power)]
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centaur98 Apr 21, 2026 +37
To Ukraine? Yeah they ramped it down. To other European countries who buy them from China and then sell them to Ukraine? Not really
37
CatHistorical184 Apr 21, 2026 +12
Why r u using a 2023 number in 2026? Almost like you are purposefully trying to mislead. This is a much more recent analysis showing dependency to china for drone manufacturing in Ukraine. https://www.csis.org/analysis/drone-supply-chain-war-identifying-chokepoints-making-drone
12
FinancialReserve6427 Apr 21, 2026 +16
Russian components, Ukrainiam components, all made in China - angry cosmonaut noises
16
Affectionate-Ad6801 Apr 21, 2026 +3
And you check what technology works if you have the equipment
3
fricken Apr 21, 2026 +266
Yeah, over 90% of Ukraine's drones are made from Chinese components as well.
266
BaitmasterG Apr 21, 2026 +165
You'll be telling next 90% of everything is made in China
165
JustStraightUpTired Apr 21, 2026 +31
Just under a third of everything is manufactured in China. But yes, that's still a lot.
31
Dazzling_River9903 Apr 21, 2026 +25
They are shifting to domestic production and aim to completly replace Chinese components. Some drones are already made almost completely locally.
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StaysAwakeAllWeek Apr 21, 2026 +73
Just a slightly different definition of 'made'. They are assembling the drones from scratch using Chinese components instead of buying pre-assembled Chinese drones. Ukraine does not have a lithium ion battery industry or a silicon fab industry and it's not going to get one anytime soon either
73
picardo85 Apr 21, 2026 +40
>They are shifting to domestic production and aim to completly replace Chinese components. Some drones are already made almost completely locally. PCBs and the frames I can see them doing. Motors...not really. Ukraine doesn't have the refining capacity or raw materials to do that.
40
grand_moff_dierdorf Apr 21, 2026 +11
Locally sourced artisanal drones 
11
Bazrjarmek Apr 21, 2026 +30
Made in China, assembled in Ukraine.
30
BrainBlowX Apr 21, 2026 +2
This is straight up untrue.
2
root88 Apr 21, 2026 +7
Love when people say shit like this with no source whatsoever. Okay, bro. It's like arguing with my Trump friends. They either have no source or send you some 4 hour video on a completely unrelated topic.
7
swampy13 Apr 21, 2026 +28
China also understands that "world domination" is no longer about controlling all the land through force. Russia is still stuck in a medieval imperialist mindset, while China understands economic influence and power is a much easier, more stable, and far less costly way to try and "run" the world. They're happy to let Russia grind themselves into a serf state, which Putin is doing a splendid job of. Taiwan is the only place they want physically because then they control the future of computing for the foreseeable future, but I don't see a world in which China wants to physically invade big countries with big militaries (even Russia, and they probably could pretty easily), it just isn't smart business. Sadly, our dumb American leaders are also stuck in the Russian mindset.
28
pornomatique Apr 21, 2026 +9
They don't actually want Taiwan physically. Everyone knows that there's no chance that they can capture Taiwan and still have those foundries intact. There's very little materially to gain with an invasion of Taiwan. Taiwan is primarily an issue of face. There's no straightforward way for China to resolve it, and that's why you've seen no action on that front.
9
Shinryukk Apr 21, 2026 +3
you are correct about everything else but china does infact want taiwan physically. they have wanted it since before tsmc were a thing. it is the only way to break out of containment of the first island chain. also the east side of taiwan is the only deep water launch point for submarines. if china has any ambitions for being a naval power with any force projection then they will need this. mostly because in shallow waters their nuclear subs can be tracked and then there is no nuclear deterrent. to put it into perspective, in every single ocean right now there are 2 american nuclear submarines that have the capability of launching nukes. this means that should any country decide to strike america they can respond quickly from a location near them that they are unaware of, it is untrackable. making any strike on america incredibly foolish. china will want this in the future, and the only way to achieve this is through obtaining taiwan.
3
PsychologicalFactor1 Apr 21, 2026 +2
It's much easier to catch up on semiconductor manufacturing than invade Taiwan.
2
SendStoreJader Apr 21, 2026 +47
China has a goal of a weak and dependent Russia that they can control forever and use for their needs.
47
kbarney345 Apr 21, 2026 +29
They have that for the whole of Asia and africa too while we all tear each other apart, they build factories and take over raw resources left and right. Soft power and economic presence work better than bombs at taking over
29
LeafsWinBeforeIDie Apr 21, 2026 +7
Bush2 was on to something with that whole winning hearts and minds thing. If they actually did that at any point, they may have had more success. If my village has access to power, clean water, and a road to the capital because it was china that helped me, I would be thankful to them forever. The factories that helped my neighbour get out of extreme poverty are a bonus, things are looking up! You know, other countries should do that soft power thing or most of the world will only see china as the helpful adult in the room.
7
apintor4 Apr 21, 2026 +9
Almost like USAID had a purpose
9
ebi-san Apr 21, 2026 +7
[Just like Sun Tsu said...](https://preview.redd.it/k0wcatggqrsg1.jpeg?width=570&auto=webp&s=66e5ea96a2a2e751a03cabaf6a46cde7e4f963aa)
7
Binkusu Apr 21, 2026 +3
Why get directly involved when you can weaken everyone by proxy
3
Nirejs Apr 21, 2026 +2
Just like USA during WW2
2
Honest_Relation4095 Apr 21, 2026 +959
China provides 90% of any electronics
959
ua2us Apr 21, 2026 +178
Yes, and also most of these components aren't special military grade stuff. One can easily build a drone with parts available on Aliexpress and they ship directly to Russia.
178
Kyle700 Apr 21, 2026 +80
I keep saying this. None of the "drone" equipment is even special. ukraine is making 3d printed drones with off the shelf 5in motors and flight controllers. people act like its some super special secret tech to make a autonomous drone and it really isnt. anyone with 200 dollars and some foam board or card board could easily make a plane that can slam into anything at speed
80
MinnisotaDigger Apr 21, 2026 +10
Surprised it’s that low.
10
redditscraperbot2 Apr 21, 2026 +1309
Should have used this opportunity to confirm the wetness of water too.
1309
muoshuu Apr 21, 2026 +218
The ALLEGED wetness of water*
218
Sgt_Splattery_Pants Apr 21, 2026 +53
Blatant slander. Water is not and never was wet to begin with.
53
ghoulthebraineater Apr 21, 2026 +23
The real question is does Particleman get wet or does the water get him instead? Nobody knows. Particleman.
23
jagnew78 Apr 21, 2026 +11
30 years on and They Might Be Giants are still getting callouts. nice
11
Zealousideal-Ruin691 Apr 21, 2026 +3
Thanks, now that songs going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day
3
ghoulthebraineater Apr 21, 2026 +2
You're welcome!
2
Cebo494 Apr 21, 2026 +2
It sure as hell ain't dry
2
Dresass Apr 21, 2026 +24
Is water wet or is what water touches wet?
24
Necessary-Drag-8000 Apr 21, 2026 +31
water touches itself, like many listnookors, therefore it's wet
31
BigDictionEnergy Apr 21, 2026 +4
Jealous?
4
cauchy37 Apr 21, 2026 +2
Why do you feel your hands as wet if you wear latex gloves and dip them in water?
2
TheRtHonorable Apr 21, 2026 +4
Did they mention if bears do in fact shit in the woods?
4
ZincFox Apr 21, 2026 +5
No, but word from JD Vance is they can no longer confirm whether the Pope is catholic.
5
drfsupercenter Apr 21, 2026 +2
I was going to say, did we really need hackers to tell us that China is supplying drones? We already knew this.
2
EconomyDoctor3287 Apr 21, 2026 +627
I'm confused. That was obvious since the beginning. China is the reason Russia is still in this war
627
Bazrjarmek Apr 21, 2026 +354
China's the reason Ukraine's still in the war too with how much stuff Ukraine is buying from China.
354
BrainBlowX Apr 21, 2026 +172
Ukraine has massively altered its drone production to be centered in Europe. It's not nearly as dependent on China as russia is for components.
172
LimpConversation642 Apr 21, 2026 +81
that's not how it works... the assembly is in Europe. But there's NO way around getting electronics anywhere except China. There are no chip and pcb manufacturers outside china that can provide tens or hundreds of thousands electronic parts. Yeah you can stamp propellers or the frame, but it's literally, actually impossible to make your own flight controller. Source: I assemble and fly FPV drones. In Ukraine
81
bozzikpcmr Apr 21, 2026 +215
I work with them and work with their drones (ukrainian) it's almost all chinese stuff. maybe they get their own pnp machines or make some domestic pcbs, but guess what goes on the pcbs? chinese components.
215
Rich_Housing971 Apr 21, 2026 +92
People with no idea (the media, usually) are looking at 3d printed frames and thinking it's most of the drone when in reality that's such a small percentage of the real product. You can take a bunch of sticks from the ground, tape it up, and turn it into a frame. You can't do it for the flight controller and pcb. Those are 100% coming from China, and the motors and battery will likely come from China as well unless you want to spend more. War is attrition. Ukraine even attempting to pay per drone by buying from Europe is pure propaganda.
92
jlindf Apr 21, 2026 +47
[Ukraine produces motors themselves.](https://motor-g.com/en) Motor-G produces 200 000 motors a month. There's also 8 other companies producing drone motors in Ukraine. Last year 80% of the drone motors were produced locally, it's predicted that this year it will be 90%.
47
bozzikpcmr Apr 21, 2026 +19
yeah I can see that being the case, motors are on the simpler end of the stuff that goes into a drone. I don't think they will have the capability to make stm f7 and h7 family mcus in the near future
19
Shadow647 Apr 21, 2026 +9
> I don't think they will have the capability to make stm f7 and h7 family mcus in the near future STM manufacturing facilities are in Europe, not in China..
9
bozzikpcmr Apr 21, 2026 +5
taiwan and asia too biggest one is in singapore second biggest is like 5 km from my house
5
Square_Bench_489 Apr 21, 2026 +12
And guess where they got the rare earth magnets and copper inside the motor...
12
BrainBlowX Apr 21, 2026 +15
> and copper Chile, DRC, Peru. China is not the biggest producer of copper.
15
Square_Bench_489 Apr 21, 2026 +23
China is also one of the biggest exporter of refined copper. Edit: these nations export copper ore and concentrate, not pure copper.
23
HunkeredDown2022 Apr 21, 2026 +12
It seems like the Chinese have successfully outsourced their war drone research, development and testing without having to commit to war themselves.
12
bozzikpcmr Apr 21, 2026 +7
we (the west) have done the same
7
ploopitus Apr 21, 2026 +51
Yup. Last year I was contacted by a UK/Ukrainian company who make drones who were interested in modifying the motors, getting rid of details that were marked onto one of the surfaces. After a few emails back and forth I (perhaps stupidly for my own sake) asked if they were doing it so that they could hide the manufacturing origin (China) and then never heard back from them, lol. So yes, I'm guessing they wanted to sell to Western companies but making it look like it was a lot more homegrown than it was.
51
bozzikpcmr Apr 21, 2026 +36
I am looking into manufacturing flight controllers here in italy, and realistically you always have something made in china. you can get the mcu from ST (made in taiwan) some accelerometers and magnetometers can be found made outside, but a EU drone would be impossible atm. even the cubepilot blue which is made in the US (and sold for a 3x markup) still uses components manufactured outside.
36
generally-speaking Apr 21, 2026 +21
It's not just components either.. They got the whole ecosystem, there's just no denying that. Try make a prototype in Europe and you're lucky to be done in 6 months. But when you look at videos from Shenzhen, you see people creating brand new prototypes in 24 to 48 hours. You want a custom PCB? Come back in 3 hours. Then going out, testing them, and coming back to try an updated design 2 days later. And that means product designers can innovate at a high speed, but it also means the component manufacturers are getting constant input and requests for new features or innovations.. So even if you want homegrown component manufacturing, you'd likely be stuck what's effectively outdated products before the factory is even built.
21
Angryfunnydog Apr 21, 2026 +87
They still heavily use Chinese components, yes they produce a lot locally now, they also built supply chains in EU and Turkey, but China is still does heavy lifting here. Their components are c****, reliable and they are world leaders in drone manufacturing with lots on missing link tech which EU just can’t provide. Similar components from the west aren’t suitable for what’s supposed to be c**** one-use kamikaze drone 
87
TurbinePro Apr 21, 2026 +10
Thats cope. Everyone is dependent on Chinese exports for stuff like drones.
10
metengrinwi Apr 21, 2026 +8
Components for circuit boards?, permanent magnet motors?, NMC batteries? I doubt it.
8
Chrono_Pregenesis Apr 21, 2026 +4
Ok, and? Glad Ukraine has a supplier to provide resources to defend themselves. Its a problem China is suppling russia specifically because russia was the aggressor. Russia, like a wave on the ocean, needs to break on the rocks of Ukraine.
4
FMB6 Apr 21, 2026 +4
They're selling a LOT more to Russia though.
4
rhubarbs Apr 21, 2026 +22
When you synchronize 3000+ drones to form a dragon, it's proof of low-latency swarm coordination. Strip the lights and replace them with something that goes boom, and you have a horrifying military asset. Of course, actual military implementations will have to operate against a variety jamming capabilities, but the fundamentals are dual-use.
22
toughfluff Apr 21, 2026 +3
I swear that's on top of my mind when I saw various videos from the recent Beijing robot half marathon. Yeah, some of them are kinda silly (running full speed into barricades, needing new batteries replaced mid-race, slo-mo zig-zagging like an uncle after too many rounds of baiju). But anytime I see a robotics or AI video, I'm like, shit, another robot army feature unlocked.
3
LimpConversation642 Apr 21, 2026 +4
Obvious is subjective. Did person A commit crime against person B? It might be obvious, but it's not the truth until proven. That's why we have laws. That's why we have science. Gravity is also 'obvious', yet we still get theories about what it is and how it works. Obvious isn't the same as proven.
4
southarmaghbrigayde Apr 21, 2026 +87
What % of drone electronics are they providing for every other country in the world ? 
87
ChinookNL Apr 21, 2026 +82
about 90%
82
Heisenbergg55 Apr 21, 2026 +149
modern military production chains rely HEAVILY on globalized electronics supply networks russian UAV programs have been linked to components sourced through intermediaries from markets connected to China (and other asian Suppliers... ) however ,parallel imports gray market channels can sustain even under sanctions pressure i’ve been keeping an eye on how sanctioned states adapt their defense supply chains under constraints. Reach out for more.
149
Odd-Attention-2127 Apr 21, 2026 +47
Notice how the article said, "Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones produced in Russia’s Tatarstan region contain 126 foreign-made components, primarily from the United States..." We build and export these components and Iran uses them to build weapons against their enemies, like us. Complete full circle.
47
snarky_answer Apr 21, 2026 +13
At the same time that allows the US or other foreign assets to intercept the supply chain to disrupt it or insert faulty or bugged equipment.
13
CatProgrammer Apr 21, 2026 +3
Are you proposing more stringently investigating exporters to ensure they are not violating sanctions or do you want to stop America selling things to the rest of the world? Or were you just commenting on it because you find it ironic?
3
MayAllEveningsRave Apr 21, 2026 +4
I’d be interested
4
HighPriestofShiloh Apr 21, 2026 +2
Makes you wonder how much shit will hit the fan if we ever do have another world war. The big aim of the war will be cutting off supply chains all over the world and it will be so much easier to shut them down than it will be to protect them.
2
dragon_idli Apr 21, 2026 +70
Did they have to hack to know this?!
70
HumansMustBeCrazy Apr 21, 2026 +51
"Know" it's one of the most overused words in the English language. People often use the word "know" instead of saying they have strong suspicions, but no actual proof. So yes, they did need to hack to actually *know*.
51
LostWoodsInTheField Apr 21, 2026 +22
It is infuriating how often people just assume things, that are very likely to be true, and then just pass it off as being true and being confused why someone actually confirmed it. it's constantly happening with science articles, war stuff, and the Trump administration.
22
Heavy_Secret_203 Apr 21, 2026 +28
Final words were: "Now we know your faces. Walk cautiously. Especially you, bald one". So, yes, they indeed had to hack them.
28
Any-Monk-9395 Apr 21, 2026 +46
Doesn’t china supply most of Ukraine’s drone parts as well ?
46
Kageru Apr 21, 2026 +4
I believe they have been ramping up local manufacture, given relying on an ally of your enemy is a bit risky. No idea how independent the supply chain is at this point though.
4
Ghaith97 Apr 21, 2026 +15
The electronics are still gonna be made in China, even if assembled locally.
15
Any-Calligrapher2866 Apr 21, 2026 +23
Not a lot. Ukraine can assemble locally, they cannot build entire industries from scratch
23
ayyyyyyyyyyxyzlmfao Apr 21, 2026 +7
A drone works because of microprocessors and MEMS devices, Ukraine can't just make a fab appear to make those. We could barely do this on a European level and would end up with the usual Million Dollar per Unit price after everyone tacked on their little request and the drone weighs 120kg
7
ppitm Apr 21, 2026 +18
That's the thing about all this hype around drones being the future of warfare. They're the future of warfare until the moment China decides to stop selling you the parts. China is the *present* of warfare. Drones only work because of access to the Chinese industrial base. So what happens when you end up fighting China, or a Chinese ally?
18
DreadedFistNW Apr 21, 2026 +23
No shit sherlock.  They make all the drone components. I own a company that makes racing drones and literally everything except the frames are made in China. You can't source even consumer grade flight controllers, electronic signal controllers, motors, GPS units, etc from anywhere in the west.  It's not a question of cheaper either.  You can't get it and setting up the infrastructure would take a decade.
23
Thereminz Apr 21, 2026 +20
china supplies 90% of all electronics period
20
Fluffcake Apr 21, 2026 +23
China supplies 90% of everything these days, was this a surprise to anyone?
23
DiamondHandsToUranus Apr 21, 2026 +7
Google says China supplies about 90% of all drone components world wide, so.. par for the course?
7
Historical-Count-374 Apr 21, 2026 +7
Thats like saying mexico is supplying avacados. Well yeah, thats their thing. Chinas thing is insane manufacturing and electronics
7
ShipShippingShip Apr 21, 2026 +14
Shocking news: The world factory who produced everything for everyone was caught manufacturing for everyone.
14
livehigh1 Apr 21, 2026 +13
The country which produces 90%+ of drone electronics in the world is revealed to have supplied 90% of drone electronics .
13
Charitzo Apr 21, 2026 +6
I mean, doesn't China supply 90% of electronics/semiconductors to pretty much most industries?
6
HughJorgens Apr 21, 2026 +3
No. it's Russian supplies. Everyone knows about Russia's huge state of the art electronics industry right? /s They share a border, if anybody thinks stuff doesn't flow across that border every day they are foolish.
3
FoxBattalion79 Apr 21, 2026 +3
just the other day, putin was threatening Britain for supplying drones to Ukraine.
3
Lexi_Banner Apr 21, 2026 +3
What. No way. I am shock.
3
Alternative-Ad-1027 Apr 21, 2026 +3
China probably produced 90% drones in the world. That is not a surprise.
3
killchopdeluxe666 Apr 21, 2026 +6
As a dude who designs drones: Honestly? I would too if it wasn't a legal/security issue. Chinese parts are always cheaper and often better. Chinese electronics manufacturing is far ahead.
6
Moronic_Princess Apr 21, 2026 +17
I mean so is Ukraine, can’t complain.
17
GooseySill Apr 21, 2026 +2
I thought we all assumed that was the case. Surprised it wasn't 100%, honestly.
2
already-taken-wtf Apr 21, 2026 +2
Where else would you buy drone electronics???? Kazakstan??? ;p
2
SmooK_LV Apr 21, 2026 +2
China will sell to anyone. What a surprise.
2
SawToothKernel Apr 21, 2026 +2
China supplies that amount of worldwide electronics. Why is this news?
2
kjireland Apr 21, 2026 +2
2 things on this. Did the Russians not get the announcement that an unknown participant was joining the meeting. Secondly a quote from the film Armageddon. Russian components, American components all made in Taiwan
2
Kyle700 Apr 21, 2026 +2
drone equipment is just normal motors and flight controllers and things that they sell to america, too.
2
SlavaVsu2 Apr 21, 2026 +2
While The West provides the rest?
2
karateninjazombie Apr 21, 2026 +2
To them and everyone else. That's where most electronics comes from generally. Especially c**** disposable electronics for flying things. The RC market is almost entirely Chinese products.
2
One-Bird-8961 Apr 21, 2026 +2
Should we be surprised? Winnie the Pooh & ccp. Temu drones.
2
Doowoo Apr 21, 2026 +2
Hackers also revealed that 100% of people know that China give 0% fucks.
2
PloddingClot Apr 22, 2026 +2
Yeah, to everyone..
2
Midiamp Apr 21, 2026 +5
I will be more surprised if China didn't mentioned anywhere as parts supplier for every war there is today.
5
lnTheGrimDarkness Apr 21, 2026 +3
So... did nobody really wonder why China is so firmly not taking part in any conflict? They're profiting both from other countries' conflicts and from other countries weakening themselves to wage war. The current world situation perfectly plays into China trying to take the USA's place as the world's hegemonic superpower. By the way they've recently basically said any attempt at nuking or otherwise destroying China will be met with country-flattening prejudice.
3
Barabasbanana Apr 21, 2026 +4
China supply 90% of electronics to everyone
4
RugerRedhawk Apr 21, 2026 +2
duh?
2
poestavern Apr 21, 2026 +4
Stop Russia. Stop China.
4
Billybobgeorge Apr 21, 2026 +2
Well what are your drones made from, Ukraine?
2
Flangepacket Apr 21, 2026 +4
Starting to feel like China supplies 90% of f****** everything these days 🤷‍♂️
4
Plaineswalker Apr 21, 2026 +4
I wonder what % of Ukrainian drone components are made in China. I bet it's quite a lot.
4
ObjectiveAide9552 Apr 21, 2026 +4
China’s calls for peace are nothing but theatre
4
Crossbowguy340 Apr 21, 2026
Um yeah thats pretty clear China has a manufacturing capacity which far exceeds that of the US or any other country. China is the real w***** at the moment. And heck as a european they seem like the better option as a partner during these times
0
TreatAffectionate453 Apr 21, 2026 +5
So you're saying China's a better partner for Europe because it's supplying military material to a country that is currently invading Europe and could supply more if it wanted to?
5
Crousher Apr 21, 2026 +7
No, its because they have a reasoning for their actions and are predictable. Predictable but evil is a much better partner than unpredictable and evil as is the US and Russia. You know if you strike a deal with China they adhere to it (mostly) and deliver on the agreed things. Their issues mainly come from things outside the direct partnership. Meanwhile you make a deal with the US or Russia and you got no f****** idea if they stick to it a week later.
7
Dragoniel Apr 21, 2026 +4
They're the only major player behaving in a sane manner lately (which is not a high bar, to be fair, but here we are).
4
karma3000 Apr 21, 2026 +3
Where is Ukraine getting their electronics for their drones? Surely China as well?
3
badger906 Apr 21, 2026 +2
In surprise to no body..
2
galloway188 Apr 21, 2026 +2
Of course they did
2
Anleme Apr 21, 2026 +2
Not surprising. 90% of all electronics everywhere are made in China.
2
Not_My_Emperor Apr 21, 2026 +2
uh did we NOT know that?
2
WeinMe Apr 21, 2026 +2
"...the Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones produced in Russia’s Tatarstan region contain 126 foreign-made components, **primarily from the United States**, while only four parts are manufactured in Russia.." Seems like everyone is profiteering here
2
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