Breaking: China Caught Aiding Russia‘s War Effort with advanced artillery shells
Beijing has been lending a helping hand to Moscow’s war efforts, contrary to its vocal stance of neutrality and support for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. A recent development has revealed that China has supplied Russia with technology to produce advanced artillery shells, enhancing the latter’s military capabilities significantly.
In 2023, the Russian military began receiving upgraded 122-mm artillery shells, the 3ОФ56ИМ-1. These shells, according to military expert Alexander Kovalenko, are more powerful and have improved ranges due to the incorporation of an advanced explosive, hexal (A-IX-2), and enhanced aerodynamics. This upgrade has boosted Russia’s ammunition production to over 2 million rounds per year.
But here’s where it gets interesting: these advanced shells are eerily similar to those used in Chinese Type 96 howitzers and PCL-171 self-propelled howitzers, which are replicas of the Soviet D-30 howitzer. Kovalenko asserts that the identical design, including the ammunition boxes, suggests that China has provided Russia with the equipment needed to manufacture these high-tech shells.
This Chinese influence is stark, as Russia’s own defense industry has struggled to modernize its Soviet-era weapons. The increase in ammunition production can be directly linked to these supplies from China. However, instead of adapting the design or changing the color scheme to match their own, Russia has been producing them as-is.
China’s double standards are stark: while it claims neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, its technological support is effectively bolstering the Russian war effort. This is not the first instance of such undercover military cooperation between Russia and China, with earlier reports revealing a secret military pact between the two nations.
