US sanctions Chinese, Russians over attack drones used in Ukraine

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Doina Chiacu

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday sanctioned two Chinese companies and a Russian affiliate involved in making and shipping attack drones and warned the two countries to halt cooperation boosting the Ukraine war effort.

New sanctions target a Chinese company, Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Co Ltd, that makes the engine powering Russia's Garpiya series long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, the U.S. Treasury Department said.

The measures also hit China-based Redlepus Vector Industry Shenzhen Co Ltd for its role in the drones' shipment and an affiliated Russian person and company.

The drones are believed to have been used against military and civilian targets in Ukraine, damaging critical infrastructure and inflicting both civilian and military casualties. Reuters was first to report last month that the new Russian drones were being made using Chinese engines and parts.

"While the United States previously imposed sanctions on [People's Republic of China] entities providing critical inputs to Russia's military-industrial base, these are the first U.S. sanctions imposed on PRC entities directly developing and producing complete weapons systems in partnership with Russian firms," said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

A senior Biden administration official said the actions by the Chinese companies were at odds with what the Chinese government has said privately about its intentions.

The Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington, Liu Pengyu, repeated China's opposition to sanctions and said it was handling the export of military products responsibly.

"The U.S. makes false accusations against China's normal trade with Russia, just as it continues to pour unprecedented military aid into Ukraine," the spokesperson said. "This is (the) typical double standard, and extremely hypocritical and irresponsible."

The Chinese companies could not be immediately reached out of office hours and the Russian government also could not be immediately be reached for comment.

The moves come as deepening cooperation between Russia and other countries, including China, has thwarted Washington's effort to disable Russia's war effort in Ukraine, which grinds on as Moscow's forces advance in the east.

U.S. President Joe Biden is headed to Germany for talks with European allies set to include discussion of Ukraine's war strategy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is pushing a "victory plan" that he hopes will end Russia's more than 2-1/2-year-old invasion.

Biden has sought to ease tensions with China even while rebuking its government for supporting Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Oct. 22-24 BRICS summit in Russia, and Washington is watching for signs of further cooperation, according to senior Biden administration officials.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Don Durfee and Sharon Singleton)