Now there are a large number of statements from the top leadership of Western countries that China is not yet supplying Russia with weapons for the war against our state. However, the PRC is confidently moving in this direction.
The decision to supply arms to the aggressor country in China has not yet been made, but there is a big threat that this will be done. This opinion was expressed by military expert and editor-in-chief of Defense Express Oleg Katkov to Channel 24 .
China has a weapon that is a copy of the Soviet
Moreover, there is already information that this process is already being planned. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the intelligence of the United States spoke about this. In addition, the West has already warned the PRC that if Russia provides weapons, all sanctions will be applied to it.
If China agrees to the supply of weapons to Russia, then weapons will be transferred first, which are extremely difficult to identify as Chinese. the military expert suggested.
He recalled that the weapons that were produced in China during the 70s – early 80s of the last century are a copy of the Soviet one.
What weapons Russia seeks to receive from China
As for the weapons that are critically needed by the Russian invaders, first of all, these are ammunition . At the same time, China is armed with the entire line of standard Soviet calibers, in particular:
- shells of 122 and 152 mm caliber;
- mortar mines 82 and 120 millimeters;
- tank ammunition 125 millimeters;
- missiles for MLRS with a caliber of 122 mm for “Grad” or “Smerch”.
In addition to ammunition in Russia, there is a need for new barrels of artillery systems. The situation is such that China has a huge number of exact licensed copies of the Soviet D-30 and D-20 guns in service and in storage depots,” the military expert said.
According to him, if the Chinese markings are removed from service, then they cannot be distinguished from those of the aggressor country. It also means that the invaders will not need to retrain their personnel to master Chinese weaponry.
Katkov said what weapons Russia needs the most: watch the video
In complex systems, such as self-propelled artillery mounts or armored vehicles, the difference will be noticeable. So, if China begins to supply Russia with armored vehicles, then this will become known almost immediately.
2 scenarios for the transfer of weapons from China to Russia
According to Katkov, there are 2 scenarios according to which the PRC can supply weapons to the aggressor country. Yes, according to the first scenario , China can transfer ammunition to the Russians from storage depots, but with the destruction of the markings so that it is impossible to understand what kind of projectile it is.
The second scenario is that China has its own production of ammunition and can direct part of its capacity to the manufacture of shells marked “at the request of the customer”, that is, to point to them conditionally as a Russian factory.
China can supply Russia with weapons: what is known
- CIA Director William Burns said that the Chinese authorities are considering the possibility of providing Russia with lethal weapons for the war against Ukraine. However, a final decision has not yet been made. William Burns stressed that the Joe Biden administration is trying to moderate the Chinese authorities from making such a decision.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the likely increase in China's support for Russia. He assured that it is important for him that this does not happen. The head of state stressed that this could become a threat not only to our country, but to the whole world.
- US President Joseph Biden does not expect China to provide significant military assistance to Russia. At the same time, he believes that this will be exactly the limit followed by the reaction of the United States.
