Drone in action. Cyprus / Getty Images
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More than half a dozen US launch drones have donated or sold equipment to Ukraine, the WSJ reported.
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According to the WSJ, Ukrainian authorities have questioned whether China’s alternatives have hampered military defense.
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This follows calls for Chinese manufacturer DJI to stop doing business with Russia.
Brinc Drones and Skydio, two US-based companies, donate or sell many drones to Ukraine, the report said.
The companies stepped up after Ukrainian officials expressed concern that Chinese drone maker DJI may have deliberately created “technical problems” in its products to disrupt Ukraine’s defense, according to a WSJ report. DJI rejected these allegations, adds the publication.
DJI, Brinc Drones and Skydio did not respond immediately to Insider’s request for comment.
The news comes after Ukrainian officials called on the Chinese manufacturer to “stop doing business” with Russia last month via Twitter.
Since last month, Brinc has donated 10 drones and sold an additional 50 for use by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, according to the WSJ. Sykdio has also donated dozens of drones to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and has sold “hundreds” of NGOs that support Ukraine, the report said.
More than half a dozen American startups have donated or sold drones to Ukraine to help with search and rescue and intelligence-gathering missions, the WSJ reported.
Joining US startups in providing Ukraine with drones, the Pentagon announced on Thursday that it would send 121 Phoenix Ghost drones to Ukraine as part of their $ 800 million weapons package, according to Insider’s Alia Shoaib.
Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fedorov tweeted on March 16: “In 21 days of war, Russian troops have already killed 100 Ukrainian children. They use DJI products to control their missiles. @DJIGlobal Are you sure you want to be a partner in these killings? Block your products that help Russia kill Ukrainians! “
Fedorov also posted an open letter to DJI’s CEO along with a tweet. It read: “The Russian army is using an extended version of the DJI Aeroscope, which was taken from Syria. The distance is up to 50 km.”
DJI posted a response on Twitter, saying all of its products were intended for civilian use and “did not meet military specifications.” He also called their use for military purposes “inappropriate.”
It adds: “DJI has not changed the functionality of our AeroScope system in Ukraine in any way and many Ukrainian AeroScope units are still operational.
Read the original article in Business Insider
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