China May Have Just Killed Off Putin’s Combat Drone Industry

Chinese export restrictions on key components for uncrewed vehicles are making it difficult for Moscow to produce military drones, according to a Russian state media report, which may hamper Vladimir Putin’s war effort in Ukraine. New Chinese regulations brought in at the start of the month “seriously complicated drone deliveries to Russia and led to a shortage of a number of components, such as thermal imagers,” Kremlin-linked newspaper Kommersant reported on Monday. In late August, China’s government said it was introducing export controls on some drones and related parts. The measures would affect some communications equipment, the engines and lasers…