The New Axis of Evil: DER SPIEGEL Investigation Reveals Deep Military Cooperation between Russia and China

Xi and Putin together in Beijing in May.

Foto:

Maxim Shemetov / REUTERS

Reporting by DER SPIEGEL and its partners provide a detailed and unprecedented look at the depth of military cooperation between Russia and China. Secret documents show the plans the two countries are developing.

09.07.2026, 12.01 Uhr

On the banks of the pond in central Yekaterinburg, the facade of the Sevastyanov House glows white, swimming-pool green and terracotta – a fairy-tale castle in the eastern Urals. It was here that Russia's then-president Dmitry Medvedev once met with the leaders of Brazil, India and China. Angela Merkel, too, visited as chancellor.

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In all its splendor, the residence seems made for important events, events with external visibility. Yet on December 10, 2024, Alexander Vorontzov was preparing to open a confidential meeting at the site. The 60-year-old heads the influential First Directorate of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Russia's nerve center for international arms deals.

Sevastyanov House in Yekaterinburg: Winter uniforms and secrecy

Credit: [M] DER SPIEGEL; Photo: Sergey Pistyazhnyuk Serg Zastavkin / action press

Light snow was falling outside that day, while inside, roughly 80 high-ranking representatives from Russia and China discussed their nations' struggle against the West – military officers, representatives of arms companies and government agencies, some important enough to be flown to the venue on a government plane.

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