Recently, a prominent Ukrainian drone analyst released intriguing footage that supposedly showcases tests conducted by a camera in Shenzhen, China. This recording is allegedly linked to a downed Russian Gerbera drone.
Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, a well-known name in the drone analysis circle and an essential part of many discussions on uncrewed technology’s role in the Ukraine war, unveiled these videos last Sunday on his popular Telegram channel.
Business Insider hasn’t double-checked if these clips genuinely came from a Gerbera drone, a device created by Russia to closely resemble Iran’s lauded Shahed loitering munitions. Yet, judging from the visuals, BI placed the location of the footage: the Beihuan main road in Shenzhen, likened to where technologies converge next door to Hong Kong.
According to Cyber Boroshno, a Ukrainian intelligence group specializing in tracking open-source details, the perspective captured in the videos points towards a possible filming location in Aote Kexing Science Park—a cluster of four towering office structures along Beihuan.
One clip starts with an unidentified individual seemingly positioned within a high-rise, adjusting the camera towards a window that overlooks Beihuan road at night, capturing the path’s traffic with some neat highlights in yellow and white. Another segment demonstrates the camera’s focus on vehicles joining the main road.
Beskrestnov further showcased what he claims to be the camera used on the Gerbera, resembling the A40 Pro, a 360-degree cámara produced by Shenzhen-based ViewPro. This camera boasts AI capabilities that allow it to track moving targets.
Curiously, ViewPro’s main office is located less than a mile from the Aote Kexing Science Park, established as specialists in “UAV gimbals, payload systems, and inventive drone accessories.” Still, there’s no concrete evidence linking ViewPro directly to the Russian military; it remains a mystery whether the A40 Pro was picked up by an intermediary who then facilitated it for use by Russian forces. Unfortunately, ViewPro couldn’t be reached for further insights on the matter.
This posting from Beskrestnov digs deeper into an ongoing concern within Ukraine: Numerous accusations linger regarding Chinese firms supplying crucial electronics and components to bolster Russia’s military machinery.
Implications of this connection ripple throughout Western sanctions hoping to stymie Moscow’s capabilities, which Ukrainian personnel have claimed don’t exclusively rely on homegrown resources but are sometimes found harboring components made overseas.
In a prior revelation from January, a key advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pointed out that troops were encountering Chinese anti-jamming antennas amongst the wreckage of Shahed drones. Just a month thereafter, Beskrestnov shared an advanced Chinese antenna design he found ejected from a defeated Shahed.
Similarly, as of November, reports from Ukraine’s military intelligence spotlighted the recovery of Western-made parts from decoy Shahed drones.
Reportings from Reuters and The New York Times in July 2024 state that Russia systematically circumvented sanctions, leveraging Hong Kong as a chosen ground to establish shell companies manufacturing necessity electronics for the military.
The U.S. Commerce and Treasury have actively joined the issue, methodically imposing sanctions on several implicated businesses and individuals from Hong Kong.
Regarded as Asia’s tech powerhouse, Shenzhen is often aligned with the term “China’s Silicon Valley,” symbolizing the integration with nearby Hong Kong as part of China’s expansive Greater Bay Area initiative.
