Thailand has become the main "transit hub" for the penetration of drones into Russia, the cost of which is millions of dollars. According to an investigation by Bloomberg, trade in this direction has grown unprecedentedly since 2022. Over the past 11 months of 2025 alone, Russia purchased $125 million worth of unmanned aerial vehicles from Thailand.
Shopping under the guise of "car rental"
During the investigation, the names of interesting companies were revealed. For example, Skyhub Technologies Ltd., located in one of the skyscrapers in Bangkok, is the second largest importer of drones from China, although it officially leases cars. The company purchased products worth $25 million from the giant Chinese manufacturer Autel Robotics.
Income growth by 1800 times
Another company, China Thai Corp., imported $144 million worth of drones from China in 2025. The financial indicators of this company are striking: its annual income has increased to 1800 times in a short period of time. The company supplied not only drones, but also millions of dollars worth of iPhone smartphones to the sanctioned Russian manufacturer Atlas.
Use of legal loopholes
The leadership of Thailand's customs department emphasizes that these export operations do not contradict current legislation. It turned out that when a drone is imported into the country, it is not mandatory to indicate its further fate or what purpose it will be used for. Although the Thai government promised to study this issue, the process has not yet stopped.
According to the US State Department, almost 80% of the "dual-use" goods (both civilian and military) imported by Russia are accounted for by China. Thailand remains one of the most important links in this chain.
In your opinion, how effective can international sanctions be, given the existence of such "circuits"?
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