Chinese drone maker says can't stop Russia from using its tech in Ukraine

Ukraine is calling on a big-name Chinese maker of drones to block what Ukrainian officials say is the Russian military's use of its technology to coordinate missile attacks. However, the company, which has been sanctioned by the U.S. and placed on a blacklist, says it can't disable its drones and has limited options to heed Kyiv's appeals for help.

The heightened focus on DJI Technology Co., based in Shenzhen, China, shines a spotlight on a major drone producer that's been under scrutiny for its connections to the Chinese government.

Last week, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Federov asked DJI to deactivate some of its technology in Ukraine, suggesting it would be complicit in the deaths of Ukrainians if it didn't do so.

"In 21 days of the war, Russian troops have already killed 100 Ukrainian children," he tweeted. "They are using DJI products in order to navigate their missile. @DJIGlobal, are you sure you want to be a partner in these murders? Block your products that are helping Russia to kill the Ukrainians!"

In an attached public letter to DJI Founder and CEO Frank Wang, Federov wrote that Russia is using a version of DJI's AeroScope, a system for locating drones and their operators, acquired from Syria.

Observers and government officials in Ukraine allege Russia is using AeroScope to find and target Ukrainian drone pilots.

In theory, the Russian military could pair AeroScope receivers, which can identify the position of a drone and its pilot, with a guided missile battery. Since Ukrainian civilians have been using consumer-grade drones to help soldiers combat Russian forces by tracking their movement, AeroScope could potentially allow Russia's army to locate Ukrainian drone pilots and target them with airstrikes.

Federov and other Ukrainian officials accuse Russian forces of doing this, although Just the News didn't find confirmed reports of such activity.

Taras Troiak, an authorized DJI reseller and administrator of the 15,000-member Ukrainian UAV Owners Fan Club, has also said Russian troops are widely using DJI technology to target Ukrainians. UAV stands for unmanned aerial vehicle.

In his letter, Federov asked DJI to stop doing business in Russia until the war is over, provide the Ukrainian government with information about every functioning DJI product in Ukraine, block all DJI products functioning in Ukraine that were purchased and activated outside the country, and block all DJI products that were purchased and activated in Russia, Syria, and Lebanon.

Blocking Russia's DJI technology is likely a nonstarter for DJI, a Chinese company that reportedly receives funding from the Chinese government.

"All Chinese companies are required to establish [Chinese Communist Party, or CCP] cells in their operations and support CCP security agencies," stated a 2020 congressional report by the China Task Force. "The CCP embeds its members in every company and organization."