DJI’s stance on Russia and Ukraine is murky to say the least but we’ve got some more clarity today as the Chinese-based firm announced it was suspending operations in the two countries.
This comes some nine weeks after the start of the war in Ukraine and multiple calls from around the world to follow suit with other companies and stop sales of their products.
As Pop Photo points out, however, it is a somewhat difficult position for DJI to maintain as China’s relationship with Russia is friendly while the company itself is the preeminent consumer drone brand in multiple markets.
Specifically, the statement from DJI reads in full:
“DJI is internally reassessing compliance requirements in various jurisdictions. Pending the current review, DJI will temporarily suspend all business activities in Russia and Ukraine. We are engaging with customers, partners and other stakeholders regarding the temporary suspension of business operations in the affected territories.”
And it’s been quite the road to get this far. Drones are playing a central role in the conflict and some people are concerned about DJI and data sharing with Russian military forces or even repurposing products towards those ends.
In this regard, DJI reiterates their position as a consumer drone company and states unequivocally that their products are for civilian, not military, use:
“With that in mind, we want to reiterate a position we have long held: our products are made to improve people’s lives and benefit the world, and we absolutely deplore any use of our products to cause harm. DJI has only ever made products for civilian use; they are not designed for military applications.”
Of course, as we’ve covered here, using drones for that purpose is proving to be decisive in some instances of the conflict.
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