The current stage of the conflict in Ukraine highlights several instances when the support of the Russian military machine is provided to the extent that it stays afloat by relying on dual-use items that can be used both to build the military infrastructure as well as civilian ones. The supply of such commodities by China has proved indispensable to the prolonged campaign of Russia, even with tough international sanctions that aimed at debilitating the warfighting ability of Moscow.
The health of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service shows that China provides elements to not fewer than 20 Russian military-industrial plants. These are necessities such as drone engines, gunpowder, machining tools, specialized chemicals and electronics. Specifically, the fact that almost 80 percent of the electronic parts deployed on the Russian drones are assembled in China is a revelation in itself. This technological assistance will change the course of the war since drones are at the core of the Russian approach to the battlefield, particularly in the areas of reconnaissance and precise strikes.
Evasion Of Sanctions Through Dual-Use Channels
One main difficulty facing sanctioning countries is dual-use exporting, whereby some products can be legally exported to the outside world on the guise that it is meant to be used in a civilian manner. Chinese firms are taking advantage of this ambiguity with shipments being rerouted by them through the use of third-party nations in the Middle East and Southeast Asia or relabeling the goods to avoid exposure to military end-use.
One report by the Center of Strategic and International Studies blames China as the greatest supplier of military-relevant assets to Russia. With the war protracted, such transactions have increased in volume and frequency and more so, Russia desperately wants to restock high tech weapons supplied by the Western world that have been lost on the battlefield. Due to the nature of being both indirect and adaptable, dual-use exports are exceptionally difficult to track and manage, and as a secondary consequence, Russia has been able to continuously keep up its operational ability under an individually increasing pressure.
Geopolitical Dimensions Of China’s Role
Balancing Strategic Interests And Global Reputation
Beijing is still maintaining that it is neutral on the conflict. Chinese authorities reject stating that they do not export deadly weapons and have close control over goods of dual use. On May 27, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning affirmed that China never sold lethal weapons to any party, dismissing the accusations leveled by the West as politically motivated.
However, the current state of economic and strategic cooperation between China and Russia implies the implicit sanctioning of cooperation in the area of military industry. According to analysts, this effort by Beijing is intended to keep Moscow at its whims, but not fully crippled, as it does not want final defeat or success of Russia (both cases will upset the regional balance of power, littering China toward its larger strategic plans).
Chinese positioning gives it the capability to establish itself as a possible mediator and enhance at the same time its Eurasian interests, especially in terms of energy relations and Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The tight rope game shows that Beijing is meticulous in the calculation of national interest, international image and alliance politics.
Diplomatic Strains With The West
The intensifying trade in dual-use goods has significantly aggravated tensions between China and Western powers. The United States and European Union have issued diplomatic warnings, calling out China’s role in undermining sanctions and prolonging the war. Discussions at the United Nations Security Council have featured explicit accusations, with U.S. diplomats urging stricter oversight and threatening secondary sanctions on Chinese firms.
In response, China has condemned these threats, characterizing them as extraterritorial impositions lacking international legitimacy. Beijing has pledged to defend its companies and retaliate against what it calls “unilateral coercion.” The standoff illustrates how dual-use technology trade has become a new frontier in global power competition, with strategic supply chains replacing traditional military alliances as tools of influence.
Military And Technological Implications In Ukraine
Enhancing Russian Capabilities On The Battlefield
Russian forces rely heavily on imported Chinese components for key battlefield technologies. From drone platforms and missile navigation systems to encrypted communication and targeting subsystems, Chinese parts enable continued Russian advances and defensive resilience. The ability to repair and reproduce advanced systems internally—thanks to Chinese-sourced machines and chemicals—mitigates the intended effect of Western technology embargoes.
These imports not only replace lost systems but also allow adaptation and innovation, as seen in Russia’s evolving drone swarms and artillery guidance upgrades. The military impact of dual-use goods, while less visible than traditional arms transfers, is equally strategic.
Challenges In Oversight And Enforcement
Policing dual-use supply chains poses unique difficulties. Their civilian functionality and often innocuous trade classification shield them from routine export scrutiny. Ukrainian intelligence highlights widespread use of “product relabeling” and “shell intermediaries,” allowing key components to enter Russia without detection. Regulatory frameworks struggle to keep pace with the complexity of modern logistics and trade routes.
Western allies are increasingly considering financial countermeasures targeting banks, insurers, and shipping networks involved in suspected dual-use trafficking. The approach shifts focus from hardware to transactional oversight, reflecting a broader effort to break the financial lifelines sustaining Russia’s war industries.
International Reactions And Future Considerations
Western capitals continue to press for more coordinated international action. On July 25, 2025, the U.S. delegation at the UN directly confronted Beijing over the flow of dual-use goods, calling it a fundamental threat to Ukraine’s sovereignty and the global order. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged for harmonized enforcement and greater transparency in tracking sensitive exports.
China, in turn, has issued sharp rebukes, insisting on the legality of its exports and asserting sovereign rights over trade decisions. The diplomatic impasse reflects the broader breakdown in East-West trust and the limitations of current sanction regimes in a multipolar world.
Meanwhile, Ukraine views Chinese cooperation as vital to any viable peace process. Kyiv has engaged Beijing in backchannel discussions and multilateral settings, hoping to secure limits on military-related exports even if formal restrictions remain elusive.
Strains On Global Governance Systems
The China-Russia dual-use trade underscores structural weaknesses in global governance. The export control mechanisms, which were originally designed in a slower paced world of industrial warfare, have difficulty adapting to the hybrid technologies and de facto decentralized supply chains of today. The threats of becoming irrelevant are setting in on institutions like the Missile Technology Control Regime and the Wassenaar Arrangement.
More than the immediate situation in Ukraine, the issue gives rise to the urgent policy questions of how to regulate proliferation of technology in a splintered geopolitical world. The practice of China can demonstrate not only possible advantages of interference but also danger of asymmetric assistance to conflict regions and establish precedents that may be applied in future proxy wars.
This person has spoken on the topic: Ukrainian economist and policy analyst Tymofiy Mylovanov recently highlighted the intricate geopolitical stakes involved, noting that
“China’s ambiguous dual-use goods trade with Russia reflects a larger strategic contest and challenges the efficacy of current sanction mechanisms.”
Reuters: US at UN accused China of exporting dual-use goods used in drones, missiles, and vehicles to Russia.
— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) July 27, 2025
Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea said Chinese parts are often found in Russian weapons despite Beijing’s export control claims.
1/ pic.twitter.com/4eudof1cqI
Then there is the supply of dual-use resources to China in the middle of the Ukraine war, which is now entering its third year, where the reliance of modern warfare is on the technologies that ride the border between civilian trade and military gain. The continuity of these streams not only changes the arena of warfare, but also changes the international system of rules of diplomacy and conflict resolution. A successful response by the international community to this challenge that does not veer into confrontation will provide the template of a new order of 21 st -century geopolitics.
