Russia reportedly has a secret long-range drone program in China. Experts say it shouldn’t surprise anyone. [Video]

Russia is tapping China to build long-range attack drones for use in its war against Ukraine, Reuters reported.

The report stated that Russia had created a secret weapons program in China, citing documents as well as two unnamed sources from a European intelligence agency.

Experts on the region told Business Insider that although such a partnership has not been publicly reported before, it’s plausible and should have been expected.

In Reuters’ reporting, IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of Russia’s state-owned arms company Almaz-Antey, has developed and tested a long-range attack drone model called the Garpiya-3, or G3, in China.

Citing reports sent by Kupol to the Russian Ministry of Defence earlier this year, Reuters said that the drones were developed with the help of local specialists in China.

It said that another Kupol report had said that G3s and other drones could be produced at the Chinese factory at scale for the war …