Chinese Firm Sold Satellites For Intelligence To Russia's Wagner: Contract

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Oct, 2023) Russian mercenary group Wagner in 2022 signed a contract with a Chinese firm to acquire two satellites and use their images, aiding its intelligence work as the organisation sought to push Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to a document seen by AFP.

The contract was signed in November 2022, over half a year into Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in which the Wagner group under its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was playing a key role on the battlefield.

The satellite images were also used to assist Wagner's operations in Africa and even its failed mutiny in June which has led now to the de-facto break up of the group followed by the death of Prigozhin and other key figures in an air crash in August, a European security source told AFP.

According to a contract seen by AFP written in English and Russian and signed on November 15, 2022, the company Beijing Yunze Technology Co Ltd sold two high-resolution observation satellites belonging to the Chinese space giant Chang Guang Satellite Technology (CGST) to Nika-Frut, a company then part of Prigozhin's commercial empire.

The over $30 million (235 million Yuan) price was for the satellites themselves and additional services.

The contract also provides for the provision of images on demand, which allowed Wagner to obtain satellite pictures both of Ukraine and areas in Africa where its mercenaries were active including Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic and Mali, the European security source told AFP, asking not to be named.

According to this source, Wagner even ordered images of Russian territory at the end of May 2023, all along the route between the Ukrainian border and Moscow that was seized by Wagner's forces at the end of June, during the brief mutiny.

The mutiny was aborted within 24 hours and marked the definitive break between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prigozhin.

There is, however, no mention of ordering images of Russian territory in the contract and the supply of such pictures could not be independently confirmed by AFP.

But there have been media reports that Western intelligence services, including in France and the United States, had intelligence that the mutiny was going to happen before it took place.

- 'Russia couldn't do this' -

The European security source said that the contract with the Chinese firm was still active.

It provides for the acquisition of two Chinese satellites -- JL-1 GF03D 12 and JL-1 GF03D 13 -- which are in orbit at an altitude of 535 kilometres above the Earth.

In this contract, Wagner also acquired the right to bid for other satellite images from the network held by the Chinese operator CGST, which has around 100 satellites today and aims to reach 300 by 2025.

Gregory Falco, aerospace researcher at Cornell University in the United States, told AFP that Wagner's use of the Chinese technology showed Russia's limits in the sector despite its historic reputation as a great space power going back to the USSR.

"Russia does not have this type of capabilities. Their satellite program has not been successful recently. There is no way they could do it themselves," he told AFP.

"This is something they're not good at whereas China is at the top of the game."

Asked to comment on the contract, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP: "I am not aware of the situation you describe," adding: "China always takes a prudent and responsible attitude towards the relevant issues of exports, and acts strictly in accordance with Chinese policies, laws and its international obligations."