Ukraine war briefing: US sanctions China firms over ‘complete attack drones made for Russia’

The US has unveiled its first ever sanctions against China-based companies for “directly developing and producing complete weapons systems in partnership with Russian firms” for use in Ukraine. The sanctions are for the alleged production of drones that Russia has deployed in its war against Ukraine, according to the US Treasury. Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US state department, claimed: “This was the first time we actually saw a Chinese company manufacturing a weapon itself that then was used on the battlefield by Russia.”

The action relates to the Garpiya series long-range attack drone. The Treasury said the drone was “designed and developed by” China-based experts, and produced at Chinese factories in collaboration with Russian defence firms, then transferred to Russia for use against Ukraine. The two China-based companies sanctioned are Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Co and Redlepus Vector Industry Shenzhen Co. Also targeted are Russia-based Limited Liability Company Trading House Vector and Artem Mikhailovich Yamshchikov. Previous US sanctions have hit Chinese entities providing components to Russian firms to make weapons.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged European leaders to issue an “immediate invitation” for Ukraine to join Nato as he pitched the “victory plan” that he said would end the war in 2025 at the latest. At EU leaders’ Brussels summit, Ukraine’s president outlined his five-point plan, which urges allies to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons on military targets inside Ukraine’s occupied territories and Russia, as well as to help increase air defences. An immediate invitation to join Nato, albeit with membership later, is widely seen as unrealistic in the transatlantic alliance, Jennifer Rankin reports from Brussels.

Zelenskyy claimed on Thursday to have intelligence that Russia is preparing to deploy 10,000 North Korean soldiers in the war against Kyiv, as he called it “the first step to a world war”. Western officials said they were aware of the reports but treating them with caution, the AFP news agency said. One official cited reports of between 2,000 and 12,000 North Koreans, but if verified “it’s probably towards the lower number”.

Norway will supply six F-16 jets to Ukraine “in the near future”, the Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov, said on Thursday after talks with his Norwegian counterpart, Bjoern Arild Gram.

An artillery ammunition drive spearheaded by the Czech Republic for Ukraine must continue into 2025, the Czech, Danish and Dutch prime ministers have declared. The scheme is set to hand Ukraine 500,000 shells this year. Eighteen countries including Canada, Germany and Portugal have signed up to help. The drive makes up in part for the EU’s failure to meet its promise to supply one million shells to Ukraine by the end of March this year. Ukraine’s western allies are competing with Russia for the purchase of ammunition in markets outside Europe.

Dozens of countries committed on Thursday to help clear Ukraine of massive amounts of mines and explosives, which contaminate nearly a quarter of its territory. During a two-day conference in Switzerland, more than 40 countries backed the Lausanne Call for Action, the organisers said. The World Bank has estimated that demining Ukraine will cost around US$37bn.