This news may be like free promotion for SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd, especially after Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that his country was very dependent on Chinese-made DJI drones for military needs.
Even more fantastic, Shmyhal said that Ukraine effectively purchased 60 percent of the global supply of DJI Mavic series quadcopter drones.
Quoted from defensenews.com (23/10/2023), DJI Technology, which is headquartered in Shenzhen, stated that the claims from Ukrainian officials were new news for them. Denys Shmyhal's statement was made at the Kyiv International Economic Forum on October 8 2023.
Although the Ukrainian PM's statement is like free promotion for DJI's marketing, in fact the largest drone vendor has officially banned sales to the military, highlighting how commercial technology with military uses can be used in conflict and war zones without hindrance.
"We were very surprised by the Ukrainian Prime Minister's statement, because he did not know DJI's production numbers," a DJI spokesperson told Defense News. “These statements do not correspond to reality and are highly misleading regarding DJI's involvement in the use of our drones in Ukraine.”
All DJI distributors and retail sellers are contractually required to periodically certify that they comply with these restrictions, or risk termination of their business relationship with DJI.
According to a recent New York Times report, which is based on official Ukrainian and Russian customs data from third-party providers, between January and June 2023, it is estimated that Ukraine will have received “millions” of Chinese-made drones and parts.
However, the drones made in China were not imported directly, but went through intermediaries in European countries supporting Ukraine's logistics.
So far, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has not provided clarification regarding the prime minister's statement, whether the procurement of Chinese-made drones refers to the government's acquisition program or through unofficial procurement channels.
Of note, Ukraine's allies have organized drone support campaigns, often in the form of private donations, aimed at giving Ukrainian forces an edge in drone-based surveillance and attack capabilities.
Ukraine is also developing its own drone program, making it difficult to determine how dependent the country will be on Chinese-made quadcopter drones. In Europe, DJI Mavic series drones are sold on Amazon from €600 (US$640) to several thousand euros.
