Users from the Russian Federation can no longer buy helicopters on which lethal UAVs are mounted, batteries and spare parts at low prices.
Since March 2, the Chinese online store AliExpress has stopped selling drones and parts for them from manufacturers DJI, Fimi, Hubsan to users in Russia. The Russian edition of Izvestia writes about this.
Russians will no longer be able to buy helicopters, batteries, cases, glasses, some spare parts and accessories of these brands from AliExpress. When I try to open a page with a product, the site says this product is not available. According to Reedus, manufacturers have imposed a height limit for some of the drones already purchased.
Kommersant realized that other products of the DJI brand on AliExpress could be, for example, stabilizers. At the same time, the company’s proprietary application for controlling drones called “DJI Fly” has been removed from the Russian AppStore, but a similar application called “Go Fly for DJI Drone models” is still available on Google Play.
DJI support said in a statement to the Mash Telegram channel that it no longer sells its drones and related products to Russia, nor does it serve Russian users. “We do not provide services for any military activity and weapons production,” the company said.
Digital Media’s editor-in-chief Pavel Sinyakov noted in a BFM comment that some businesses have circumvented sanctions and delivered goods to Russia, but these cost much more. AliExpress used to be a popular platform precisely because of its low prices, but it is no longer available.
In a comment to Izvestia, Aeronet NTI market specialist Vitaly Dolgov predicted that some Russian users will refuse to buy Chinese drones because prices on AliExpress are much lower than in retail stores. However, the ban is unlikely to affect wholesale buyers because they have other suppliers.
Dmitry Kornev, Russian military expert and founder of Military Russia portal, told BFM that DJI Mavic drones are actively used in the war in Ukraine. They are valued for their reliability, simple handling, good power and range, a good camera – all this allows the military to use them for reconnaissance. Foreign partners are putting pressure on Chinese authorities or DJI itself to stop deliveries, the analyst suggests. The Chinese have not officially sold such UAVs for a long time, but now they also prevent them from being used in hostilities.
“Maintenance of this equipment on the territory of the Russian Federation will be carried out in an artisanal manner and informally, that is, by private individuals and specialists capable of assembly, disassembly, installation and launch,” Kornev said.
Earlier, they wrote about how to make drones for the army in Russia from parts purchased on AliExpress. One of them was presented as a Russian development called Dobrynya.
In April, DJI stopped deliveries of drones to Russia and Ukraine. The company opposed the use of its products in combat, but acknowledged that other market participants could not completely stop sales of UAVs.
In February, volunteer Oleksandr Karpyuk talked about how Russian and Ukrainian troops are using DJI drones on the front lines. Small drones are used for aerial reconnaissance and throwing grenades, helping the military to conduct attacks and hold defences.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.