Thailand has emerged as a growing transit route for Chinese-made drones bound for Russia, according to a Bloomberg News report published on Thursday, Feb. 19.
Trade data reviewed by Bloomberg show that Thailand’s drone exports to Russia have surged since 2022, closely tracking a rise in drone imports from China after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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In the first 11 months of 2025, Russia imported $125 million worth of drones from Thailand – eight times more than the previous year – accounting for 88% of Thailand’s total drone exports. Over the same period, China exported $186 million worth of drones to Thailand, representing nearly all such imports into the country.
A Growing transit hub
Bloomberg identified Bangkok-based Skyhub Technologies Ltd. as Thailand’s second-largest importer of Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles.
Despite maintaining a low public profile, Skyhub imported $25 million worth of drones in 2025, according to shipment-level trade data. The drones were reportedly supplied by Autel Robotics, one of China’s major manufacturers.
Trade documents cited in the report show shipments included nearly 1,000 units matching the model code of Autel’s EVO Max 4T – a drone originally marketed for civilian use but reportedly adapted for battlefield deployment in Ukraine.
Autel told Bloomberg it does not comment on clients due to confidentiality rules and said its drones are equipped with geofencing systems designed to prevent flights in the Russia-Ukraine conflict zone.
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Legal but controversial
Thai customs authorities said exports of Chinese drones fall within the country’s legal framework. Officials noted that importers are not required to declare end-use when drones arrive from China.
However, Ukrainian officials have taken note of the surge in Thai shipments to Russia, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The US State Department declined to comment on the Thailand route but said China accounts for roughly 80% of the dual-use components Russia relies on for its war effort.
Western governments have tightened sanctions on Moscow since 2022, but Russia has increasingly relied on third countries to obtain military and dual-use technology. Earlier transshipment routes through the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan drew scrutiny, prompting businesses to seek alternative corridors.
In October, the European Union sanctioned two Thailand-based firms for allegedly supporting Russia’s military. The Thai government has not publicly commented on those measures.
Expanding networks
Another Bangkok-area firm, China Thai Corp., imported $144 million worth of drones from China in the first 11 months of 2025, according to the report. The company was sanctioned by the United Kingdom in October for supplying technology to Russia’s military sector.
The report underscores how difficult it has been for Western authorities to curb Moscow’s access to advanced components as the war drags into its fifth year.
Analysts say rerouting through intermediary countries and shell companies has become a standard method for bypassing restrictions.
“The war of attrition is a battle of resources,” Maria Shagina, a senior research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Bloomberg. “Russia is scaling up.”
Thailand’s overall trade with Russia remains modest compared to major global partners, but economic and tourism ties have expanded in recent years, even as Western sanctions against Moscow have intensified.
Beijing has repeatedly denied providing lethal military aid to Moscow. Still, US and European officials say China has supplied Russia with significant volumes of dual-use goods, including drone components, semiconductors and industrial equipment, that have helped sustain its war effort in Ukraine. In October 2025, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service obtained evidence that China supplied Russia with satellite intelligence used to target missile strikes on Ukraine, including sites tied to foreign investors.
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