DJI suspends sales to Russia and Ukraine to prevent its drones from being used in combat

DJI is suspending sales in Russia and Ukraine, refusing to allow its drones to be used in combat.

DJI has temporarily suspended all commercial activities in Russia and Ukraine “in light of the current situation,”the drone maker says. It is the first major Chinese company to halt sales to Russia after the country launched its invasion of Ukraine in February, Reuters reported. Unlike many Western companies, most Chinese companies have chosen to continue their operations in the country.

DJI suspends sales to Russia and Ukraine

A DJI spokesperson told Reuters that the company is not taking sides, but sticking to its principles: “DJI does not accept any use of our drones to cause harm, and we are temporarily suspending our sales in these countries to prevent anyone from using them. our drones in combat.”

This decision was made a month after Ukrainian politician Mikhail Fedorov asked him to stop selling his products in Russia. The country’s digital transformation minister tweeted an open letter to a drone manufacturer explaining that Russia is using DJI products for its missiles to “kill civilians.”Also, according to this letter, Russia is also using an enhanced version of the DJI AeroScope drone detection platform to collect flight data.

refusal to allow their drones to be used in combat

In addition, MediaMarkt, a German electronics store chain with a presence across Europe, removed DJI products from its shelves after receiving “reports from multiple sources indicating that the Russian military is using Chinese drone maker DJI’s products and data for military operations in Ukraine.”. “. DJI denies any active assistance to the Russian military.

A few days ago, DJI issued a statement condemning the use of its products for such purposes. The brand recalled that it did not sell its products for military use and that all of its distributors agreed not to sell it to customers who would use it in this way. “We will never accept the use of our products to harm people, and we will continue to fight to improve the world through our work,”the company wrote.