THANANIT – stock.adobe.com
DJI, the Shenzhen-based drone giant, has temporarily halted operations in Russia and Ukraine to prevent the use of its drones in combat.
In a brief statement released on Tuesday 26 April, DJI stated that it was reassessing sales compliance requirements in various territories and would temporarily suspend all business activities in Russia and Ukraine in light of the current hostilities.
Why it matters
In March, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov posted an open letter on Twitter to DJI CEO Frank Wang, saying that the Russian army was using DJI drones to navigate missile attacks and calling on the company to suspend its business in Russia.
In response to the open letter, the company reiterates in another statement updated in April that it never markets, sells, modifies, or maintains its products for military applications; and it explicitly opposes the attempts to attach weapons to its products. DJI also indicates in the statement that it will cut ties with business partners if they sell DJI products or provide relevant services to customers with plans to use them for military purposes.
Context
Based in Shenzhen, China, DJI is the world’s biggest manufacturer of consumer drones.
Since February, many influential companies, including Apple, Ford, and IBM, have scaled back or terminated their operations in Russia as a result of the war in Ukraine. DJI’s decision makes it one of the first major tech companies in China to officially pull back from Russia due to the war.
