A test footage shot from a Chinese factory was found in a recently downed Russian Geran drone.
The Geran is Russia’s domestic analogue of the Iranian Shahed drones frequently used to overwhelm air defense and strike civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
Serhiy Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian military communications and electronic warfare expert known by the handle “Flash,” shared the footage on Saturday evening on his Telegram channel – presumably shot by a camera with object tracking functions, as indicated by the videos.
The videos, apparently filmed from an office or lab in China, showed roads outside where cars were quickly identified and tracked by the camera.
Details were scarce, but defense outlet Militarnyi, using a photo of the camera provided by Flash, reported that it is the A40 model from Chinese manufacturer Viewpro.
Viewpro’s official site lists the camera as $2,999 per unit before discounts, which also hailed the A40’s AI “detection and tracking” features.
“Features: 40x Optical Zoom, AI Detection and Tracking, 360°Continuous Yaw, 3axis Gyro Stabilized Gimbal, Metal Ball Housing for Anti-interference, Viewport Plug and Play, KLV Metadata Output Supported, HTTP Read TF Card Online, Point Camera Here on 3D Map,” the listing states.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), which tracks foreign components found in Russian weapons via its database, did not list the camera or Viewpro among the components found at the time of publication.
Militarnyi added that the footage was geolocated to the Aotexing Science Park in the Nanshan District of Shenzhen, China, citing Ukrainian geolocator Cyber Boroshno – an address that corresponds to Viewpro’s official address.
Kyiv Post cannot independently verify the authenticity of the reports.
Russia’s evolving drone tech
While Shaheds – or the Gerans – have been a staple in Moscow’s aerial campaign against Ukraine in the three-year war, the drones have gone through countless reiterations.
One reported upgrade is the addition of an onboard camera and AI – a claim that the latest report would confirm if accurate.
Shaheds observed at the start of the 2022 invasion rely on GPS for navigation, making them vulnerable to jamming and spoofing. The addition of stabilized cameras with AI detection could, in theory, allow them to lock onto targets independently, bypassing GPS during the final phase of flight.
Cameras, AI chips and 4G modems have also been found in other Russian drones in recent months.
Each Russian or Iranian Shahed drone is estimated to cost under $50,000 and has a reported range of up to 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles), making them Moscow’s weapon of choice for its aerial campaign against Ukraine.
Moscow, Beijing’s growing ties
Chinese manufacturers have been known to supply dual-use components to Russia for its war efforts – and in some cases, to Ukraine.
In 2023, Russian officials could be seen inspecting Chinese-made all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for the military, presumably procured via a government contract.
Beijing has refused to sanction Moscow, allowing Chinese firms to both manufacture and supply components for Moscow from third nations, including Western microchips found in missiles.
Politically, Beijing has shown support for Moscow while stopping short of directly endorsing the invasion.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin arrived in China on Sunday for a four-day visit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, with the two previously calling each other “dear friends” amid Western pressures.
Unofficially, Beijing’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly told the EU that China cannot abide a Russian loss in Ukraine.