A Belarus factory traditionally known for producing pots and pans has quietly helped fuel Russia’s drone war against Ukraine, the Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC) reports.
The Belarusian company Zavod Santex has been channeling Chinese-made quadcopters to firms producing some of Moscow’s most widely deployed kamikaze drones, according to an investigation by BIC, an OCCRP member center.
The Zavod Santex factory in Belarus’ second largest city, Homel, manufactured cast-iron cookware during the Soviet era, and it continues to pump out kitchenware, buckets and trash containers
But customs data shows the company also re-exported 309 drones to Russia in 2022 and 2023, which were built by the Chinese companies. The drones were worth $2 million, and the exports took place after China halted direct sales.
The shipments went to two Russian firms, Santross LLC and Rustakt LLC. Both companies are ownedby Belarus-born businessman Pavel Nikitin, who also owns Zavod Santex.
Rustakt has emerged as one of Russia’s principal assembly hubs for FPV drones — “first person view,” meaning the operator flies them using video goggles . The drones are loaded with explosives and guided to collide with targets, and blow up. These kamikaze drones include the VT-40, which is a quadcopter.
“VT-40 is one of Russia’s main FPV drones; it has been used many thousands of times and killed many Ukrainians,” David Hambling, a British journalist and a military technology specialist, told BIC.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency identifies Nikitin’s company, Rustakt, as the producer and seller of the VT-40 drone, which plays a central role in the Kremlin’s “Judgement Day” program — a project that includes training drone pilots for the war in Ukraine.
Nikitin was born in Minsk in 1977, but moved to Russia in the early 2000s and accumulated ownership stakes in about 20 companies. Several supply Russia’s Interior Ministry and National Guard. Though he renounced Belarusian citizenship in 2010, he or his relatives still hold interests in at least four Belarusian companies, including Zavod Santex.
Nikitin hung up the phone when contacted by BIC reporters. Neither he nor his companies responded to written requests for comment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his forces deployed 1.5 million drones against Ukraine in 2024, raising questions about how his country is able to maintain its supply.
BIC obtained Belarusian customs records showing that Rustakt bought drones as well as almost 3.5 million electric engines — enough for about 870,000 drones — from three Chinese companies over the past three years.
The records also contain evidence that Rustakt also purchased other types of components, including 1.3 million lithium-ion batteries. In total the purchases from Chinese companies added up to $323 million.
The findings build on earlier BIC reporting showing that Belarusian intermediaries have helped Russia skirt restrictions on Chinese drone deliveries since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Between 2022 and 2025, at least 14 Belarusian companies sold more than 20,000 drones to Russia, worth at least $34 million.
