Ukraine’s Mykhailo Fedorov, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation said that Ukraine had bought thousands of DJI drones to help fight off the Russian army.
The $6.8 million purchase that included 2,372 quadcopters and 11 military drones was paid for with funds contributed by the Come Back Alive fund, which has been collecting donations for Ukraine’s defense since Russia’s 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea.
Fedorov shared some photos of the newly bought DJI drones, including the DJI Mavic 3, earlier this week.
Concerns about Chinese DJI drones
While the Ukrainian army is aware of the concerns surrounding the use of Chinese drones, they keep buying DJI drones by the thousands.
“It’s a complex issue,” said Victor Zhora, deputy head of Ukraine’s State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection about the concerns regarding possible connections between DJI and the Chinese government.
“Every Chinese firm [is] under the Chinese government,” said the spokesperson for Ukrainian drone unit Aerorozvidka. “We use them but we’re not going to make any ads for DJI.”
Fedorov’s office did not explain how the DJI drones were used, reports Forbes. The Ukrainian military did not immediately respond to inquiries for comment.
Whether DJI likes it or not the world’s largest drone maker is getting dragged into the conflict as both sides are using DJI drones on the battlefield.
Let us know what you think of the use of DJI drones in the Ukraine-Russia war in the comments below.
Photos courtesy of Ukrainian army and Ministry of Digital Transformation and
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