“Partners in Murders”? – China’s drone giant halts sales in Russia
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After sharp criticism of the Chinese manufacturer DJI, the company stops its business in Russia and Ukraine. For the time being, this does not change anything about the use of cheap camera drones in war. Nonetheless, this step is noteworthy.
Dhe Chinese company DJI no longer wants to sell drones in Russia and Ukraine for the time being. The manufacturer is currently checking internally for compliance with the regulations in various jurisdictions. “Pending the completion of this review, DJI will temporarily suspend all business activities in Russia and Ukraine,” the statement said.
During the war in Ukraine, DJI drones are used by both the Russian and Ukrainian military to spy on enemy positions and potential targets. DJI only produces civilian drones with cameras, which are sold commercially for between a few hundred and a few thousand euros, depending on the model.
DJI drones have a range of less than ten kilometers and are very easy to control. In contrast, military drones quickly cost a million euros and more. In return, they have a significantly greater range and can transport and fire weapons.
DJI has been criticized for using its drones since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov had asked DJI founder and boss Frank Wang in an open letter on Twitter to make his products unusable because the Russian military was using DJI products to control its missiles.
“Are you sure you want to be a partner in these murders?” Fedorov asked. “Block your products that are helping the Russians kill the Ukrainians!” The Vice Premier also asked about the number of DJI products deployed in Ukraine, their identification number, and where and when they were purchased and activated . DJI should disable all drones purchased and activated in Russia, Syria and Lebanon.
“All DJI products are intended for civilian use and do not meet military specifications,” DJI also replied on Twitter. The company could not provide the data Fedorov requested because it did not have this information. To do this, users would have to actively send this data to DJI.
“We do NOT support any use that harms people’s lives, rights and interests”
However, Ukraine can officially request that the entire Ukraine be covered with a geofence, a kind of virtual fence. This would establish a no-fly zone for drones, as is the case in other countries in the immediate vicinity of airports or nuclear power plants.
However, drone users would need to connect their device to the internet to update the geofence file. Only then will the drone refuse to take off within such a zone. But that would also affect DJI drones used by the Ukrainian military. If you don’t update the file, you can continue flying unhindered.
“We do NOT endorse any use that harms people’s lives, rights, or interests,” DJI tweeted. Firefighters, rescue teams and other authorities would use DJI products to save lives.
It is remarkable that DJI is now stopping sales in Russia. China has not condemned the Russian invasion and is not participating in sanctions. Unlike many Western companies, Chinese companies continue to do business in Russia.
But DJI was also criticized before the Russian invasion. The USA blacklisted the company at the end of 2020 under US President Donald Trump.
US companies are therefore no longer allowed to do business with the manufacturer without special approval. DJI supports the Chinese military and participates in the surveillance of the Muslim Uyghur minority, according to the allegation. DJI denies that.
The Chinese manufacturer is the market leader in commercial drones. According to figures from the market researcher DroneAnalyst, DJI holds a share of more than 50 percent in the commercial drone market worldwide.
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