“Russian and Chinese companies are working together to develop an attack drone similar to Iran’s lethal Shahed, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed European officials.
According to the officials, the companies held talks last year and began designing and testing a version of the drone earlier this year, to prepare for shipping to Russia.
The drones have yet to be deployed in Ukraine, the officials told the outlet. They didn’t specify which companies were involved.
The move would be a worrying one for Ukraine and its allies.
Russia has relied heavily on Iran’s Shahed drone and its newer and customized variants to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses since it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
In January, Russia was suspected of using an Iranian jet-powered Shahed-238 — a significant upgrade in speed and altitude over the Shahed-136 loitering munition.
Russia has developed its own version of the Shahed drones, known as Geran-2 drones, which are similar to Shahed-136s but made with different materials, researchers at Conflict Armament Research told The New York Times last year.
However, officials told Bloomberg that one concern about the reported Russia-China partnership is that China could develop the drones at a much higher rate than Iran or Russia.
It would also be another sign of Russia’s growing reliance on China as it grapples with crippling Western economic sanctions, and would be further evidence that China has become a key enabler of Russia’s war in Ukraine, despite claims of neutrality.
The European officials did not name the drone being developed, but media outlets and Chinese defense websites have reported China is working on the Sunflower 200, an exploding attack drone that is described as similar in appearance to the Shahed 136, according to Bloomberg.”
“As part of a larger restructuring, the US Army also announced it is cutting thousands of posts in roles most heavily involved in counterterrorism. “The mission or the function of counterterrorism has continued, but it just doesn’t have the same limelight and focus that it did,” Javed Ali, a counterterrorism specialist formerly at the FBI, Pentagon, and National Security Council, told Vox.”
“The Israeli military has renewed its fighting in northern Gaza where it previously claimed to have dismantled Hamas’ command structure. But it now says the Palestinian militant group is trying to “reassemble” in the area, raising doubts about whether Israel’s goal to eradicate the group in the enclave is realistic.
Israel’s renewed ground operation began on Saturday, with intense shelling and gunfire gripping much of the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza. The Israeli military also began operating in the area of Zeitoun in central Gaza, as it continues its offensive in eastern Rafah and near the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
Israel’s return to pockets it had supposedly cleared of Hamas renews questions about its long-term military strategy, which after more than seven months of war has left more than 35,000 Palestinians dead and much of Gaza in ruins – but more than 100 hostages from Israel still in captivity and Hamas’ top leadership still at large.
The resumption in fighting in the north comes as talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire-for-hostages deal have stalled, and as the Biden administration signals that the United States is losing patience with its closest ally in the Middle East.”
…
“Others say the re-emergence of Hamas “pockets” is not unusual, and that the Israeli military will have to keep re-entering areas in Gaza until no more fighters emerge.
“This process will happen again and again,” Amir Aviv, former deputy commander of the Gaza Division of Israel’s military, told CNN, until all “pockets of resistance” are removed.
The former deputy commander believes it is possible to eradicate Hamas though. “Gaza is not endless, it is not so big,” he said. “(Israel) has reached the last stronghold (Rafah), and now Hamas is with their backs to the wall.””