TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Russia has launched a weapons program in China to develop and build long-range attack drones for its war against Ukraine, Reuters reported.

IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of Russian state-owned weapons manufacturer Almaz-Antey, has revealed a new drone dubbed the Garpiya-3 (G3) in China with the help of local experts, according to a report that Kupol sent to the Russian defense ministry earlier this year.

Kupol said it began large-scale production of drones including the G3 at a Chinese factory for the "special military operation" in Ukraine, in a follow-up update to the defense ministry.

China's foreign ministry said it was not aware of the project, per Reuters. It added that Beijing has strict regulations on drone exports.

Russia began building the long-range Garpiya-A1 attack drone last year, which uses Chinese engines and parts. More than 25,000 have been produced between July 2023 and July 2024.

The alleged drone partnership comes as the war in Ukraine is nearing its third year. On Thursday (Sept. 26) Russia launched 78 attack drones and six missiles across Ukraine, killing at least one, according to Reuters. The Ukrainian military said it destroyed 66 drones and four missiles.

The development also comes amid closer Taiwan-US drone cooperation. The two countries are seeking to decouple their drone supply chains from Chinese manufacturers. 

The US will soon establish an Indo-Pacific resilience partnership with allies and partners from the region and Europe, with Taiwan playing a key role, according to Jedidiah Royal, the US principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs.

The Pentagon will host the first meeting in Hawaii in approximately two weeks, with at least 12 Indo-Pacific and European allies participating, Royal said during a closed-door meeting at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Philadelphia.