China Shipped 46 Tons of Drone‑Materials to Russia, Documents Reveal

A shipment of 46 tons of polyacrylonitrile, a polymer used to make carbon fiber, was sent by the Chinese state‑owned Jilin Chemical Fiber Group to Alabuga‑Volokno, a Rosatom subsidiary, according to shipping documents reviewed by Politico and The Telegraph. The cargo was listed under a civilian‑synthetic‑fiber customs code, masking its military use. The material can reinforce drone wings, engines and fuel tanks, and experts estimate it could produce at least 1,300 drones. The shipment is the first confirmed evidence of direct Chinese material support for Russian drones that have been used to strike Ukraine. Ukrainian officials and a U. S. House committee verified the documents, which were also shared with the British government. Ukraine may now push the U. S. president to pressure Beijing to stop such deliveries, a move that could reshape U. S. –China policy on arms control.