![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/e17e\/live\/b37eb5e0-8c9b-11ef-bd36-9d576741e7fb.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe United States has sanctioned two Chinese companies it says are involved in the production of aerial drones used by Russia in its war in Ukraine. <\/p>\n In a statement, the US Treasury said it was also targeting a Russian company and its owner, Artem Yamshchikov, who it said serve as an intermediary between the firms and a Russian state-owned weapons company.<\/p>\n The move means their property and interests within US control have been seized.<\/p>\n It came as Volodymyr Zelensky outlined his “victory plan” in a speech to the EU Council – in which he said Ukraine had intelligence that “China is still actively helping Russia drag out this war”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The US Treasury said it had sanctioned Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Co – which makes engines that power Russia’s Garpiya long-range drones – and Redlepus Vector Industry Shenzhen Co for its involvement in shipment.<\/p>\n US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the so-called suicide drones had “been used to destroy critical infrastructure and has resulted in mass casualties”.<\/p>\n Thousands of them have been produced since last year, according to the Reuters news agency.<\/p>\n “Russia increasingly relies on the expertise of foreign professionals and the import of sophisticated technologies to sustain its weapons program,” US Treasury official Bradley Smith said.<\/p>\n Speaking to the EU Council on Thursday, the Ukrainian president also accused North Korea and Iran of aiding Russia’s war effort.<\/p>\n “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin wants to match your countries\u2019 ammunition production by next year,” he told European leaders.<\/p>\n “Please don’t ease the pressure of sanctions on Russia – it truly helps.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Elsewhere in his speech, Zelensky outlined the five-point victory plan he revealed to the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n He said that Ukrainian forces could hold the front line within his country while continuing to attack Russian territory – if allies provide the weapons Ukraine has requested.<\/p>\n Zelensky said applying military pressure to Russia while defending Ukraine was needed to achieve an equitable peace – including being permitted to use long-range missiles on Russian soil.<\/p>\n “We propose placing on Ukrainian land a deterrence package that would either force Russia to participate in real peace negotiations or allow for the destruction of their military targets,” Zelensky said.<\/p>\n Describing this as a “peace through strength approach”, he added: “Putin should respect our strength, not have the free world tremble at his threats.”<\/p>\n Ukraine’s allies, including the UK and US, have so far desisted from allowing their long-range missiles to be launched on targets inside Russia.<\/p>\n Putin has argued that Ukraine using these Western-supplied weapons would be tantamount to Nato countries fighting directly with Russia<\/a> – though Western nations have crossed his “red lines” previously without retaliation.<\/p>\n Kyiv says that not being able to hit the bases from which many of the air strikes that have bombarded Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, limits its capacity for self-defence. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\")
![\"Reuters](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/43d8\/live\/d5f88060-8ca5-11ef-9e4a-81fe6e2d3b5a.jpg.webp\")
Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n