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."

Moreover, the U.S. believes China is open to providing some military and financial assistance to Russia in Ukraine. Two weeks before Russia's invasion, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement saying "friendship between the two states has no limits."

According to DJI, however, the problem isn't its ties to Beijing but its AeroScope technology.

DJI responded to Federov with an open letter, writing its products are designed for civilian use and don't meet military specifications. DJI then explained it can't disable individual drones but can employ geofencing, or software restrictions to keep drones away from airports and other important places. However, the company added, that would affect all DJI drones in Ukraine, including those used against the Russians, and is "not foolproof."

DJI spokesperson Barbara Stelzner told Just the News that DJI doesn't have the technical means "to disable any products purchased and activated in or outside any country or region" since they can be operated without using an internet connection. She added that DJI has only sold AeroScope to "valid law enforcement and security agencies" to protect public safety — for example, if a rogue DJI drone gets near a stadium full of people, it can be located and stopped.

"However, we cannot prevent any parties from using AeroScope for other purposes than what the system was originally intended for," said Stelzner, who used the analogy of a car manufacturer being unable to control if someone makes the vehicle into a car bomb after it's sold.

"We utterly deplore any use of our technology to cause harm to people, but we cannot control how our technology is being used," she said. "DJI has no access to user data or activity unless these users share the information proactively with us."

When asked whether DJI is considering pausing its business relationship in Russia until the war in Ukraine is resolved, Stelzner said the company will "continue to provide global technical support and services," adding, "We have always tried to stay out of geopolitics."

Troiak and others in Ukraine claim DJI weakened Ukraine's AeroScope receivers, giving Russia an edge in air reconnaissance. DJI confirmed some of Ukraine's AeroScope receivers weren't working properly and went offline but adamantly denied being behind the malfunctions.

"All allegations that DJI has deliberately adjusted the functionality of AeroScope to help some parties or hurt other parties are absolutely, thoroughly false," Stelzner told Just the News. "We have stated publicly that some units might be down because of power or internet outages. Nobody credible has alleged that the technical problems we've been having with AeroScopes are anything other than technical problems. DJI has already helped bring some of Ukraine's non-working AeroScope receivers back online."

For DJI, its problems aren't limited just to accusations of malfeasance in Ukraine. The company has been repeatedly sanctioned by the U.S. and in December was added by the Treasury Department to an investment blacklist, which will bar American investors from buying or selling shares of the company. The department said DJI assisted in China's surveillance of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic and religious minorities oppressed by the Chinese government.

In October, Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr called for adding DJI to the FCC's Covered List, which would prohibit federal money from being used to purchase its equipment.

"DJI drones and the surveillance technology on board these systems are collecting vast amounts of sensitive data — everything from high-resolution images of critical infrastructure to facial recognition technology and remote sensors that can measure an individual's body temperature and heart rate," said Carr. "Security researchers have also found that DJI's software applications collect large quantities of personal information from the operator's smartphone that could be exploited by Beijing. Indeed, one former Pentagon official stated that 'we know that a lot of the information is sent back to China from' DJI drones."

The Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security have both deemed DJI a threat to U.S. national security, saying the company is likely providing sensitive data on U.S. infrastructure and law enforcement to China.

DJI has received significant financial backing from Sequoia Capital, a major U.S. venture capital firm. Sequoia says its investment in DJI is handled by Sequoia Capital China, which operates as a separate legal entity from the U.S. firm. However, Michael Moritz, chairman and partner at Sequoia, has previously touted his company's investments in DJI.

Sequoia Capital didn't respond to a request for comment. Stelzner declined to comment on DJI's financial relationship with Sequoia.