Volodymyr Zelensky imposes sanctions on companies supplying russian drones with AI components

The relevant document has been published on the president's website.

The president's representative on sanctions policy, Vladislav Vlasyuk, told journalists that russia is actively developing unmanned technologies using artificial intelligence, and this process should be taken very seriously, according to Suspilne.

According to him, the use of AI in drones increases their autonomy, accuracy and resistance to electronic warfare, allowing them to automatically orient themselves, recognise and track targets even without operator intervention.

Vlasyuk also noted that modern electronic components and large computing resources are critical for the creation of such drones, and it is the companies that provide these capabilities that are the focus of the new sanctions package.

Zelensky imposed sanctions against:

russian companies Progmatic and Smart Birds, which manufacture drones. Progmatic manufactures the Microbe 10 drone, a small FPV kamikaze drone with an electronic autopilot and automatic target acquisition system. Umnye Ptitsy manufactures the Soroka UAV with a payload of up to 3.5 kg, which is equipped with an optical target tracking system and is capable of bypassing radio shadow zones and electronic warfare jamming.

Chinese companies Dongguan Standard Trading Co., Zhejiang Lianxing Machinery Co., Guangzhou Benquan Import & Export, Shenzhen Sky Bow Navigation Technology, Harbin Bin-Au Technology Development and Topscom Precision Industry, which supply components for drones, including shahids: engines, cameras, microchips, transistors, resistors, resonators, navigation receivers and routers.

The russian Centre for Artificial Intelligence Technologies NeuroLab, which develops and trains AI models for unmanned aerial vehicles, enabling drones to navigate autonomously, recognise and track targets, and process data from sensors.

The Centre for Unmanned Systems and Technologies (CUST) is a russian organisation created to develop innovations in the field of unmanned systems.

‘Sanctions against these companies and organisations are of strategic importance because they are aimed at restricting key chains in the development of russian strike drones with AI elements that are capable of inflicting significant losses on the battlefield,’ Vlasyuk explained.

He noted that Ukraine is systematically cooperating with partners to coordinate these and other similar sanctions and to increase pressure on key components of russian military production.

Source: NV