Drones have had a big impact on the war in Ukraine, used a lot by both sides. China’s decision to limit the amount of goods it exports has raised worries that there might be a shortage of supplies.
A lot of these things are made in China and bought ready to use. We need more supplies because many of them get lost in the fighting.
However, it seems like there may be fewer Chinese drones and drone parts accessible to both Ukraine and Russia.
Based on a report by a London think tank called the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), Ukraine loses around 10,000 drones every month.
Many volunteer groups have used donated money to help the Ukrainian army get new supplies.
Commercial drones are used together with military drones that are specifically made for fighting, like the Turkish Bayraktar drones used by Ukraine and the Iranian Shaheds used by Russia.
The Chinese government recently put new rules in place starting from 1 September. These rules are for bigger drones that weigh more than 4kg. They also apply to certain equipment like cameras and radio modules that are used with drones.
Chinese manufacturers of this equipment now have to ask for permission to sell it overseas and give certificates to show who will use it. The government in Beijing, which has not criticized Russia for invading Ukraine, says Chinese drones should only be used for business, not military, reasons.
Ukrainian volunteers and soldiers are not greatly affected by the recent Chinese restrictions on drones. The popular lightweight Mavic drones made by DJI are still easily available.
But, they are saying that there is a problem getting the parts they need, and they are also worried that it might get even worse later on.
Lyuba Shypovych, the leader of Dignitas, a big Ukrainian volunteer group that provides the military with drones, said that the only difference for now is that they are buying the remaining stock in European warehouses more actively. “But we don’t know what we will be doing in the future. ”
She is very concerned about whether there will be enough thermal imaging cameras available.
The shorter days and longer nights are affecting our military supplies and how we conduct warfare because we have fewer thermal imaging drones. She said our units cannot see well at night. This impacts both drones that are already made and come with thermal imaging cameras, as well as the individual parts used to build drones.
It is especially important to have enough parts for people who build their own drones or make upgrades on ones they bought.
The effect is being noticed. According to a drone operator named Oddr, China’s license restrictions have reduced Ukraine’s ability to acquire drone parts. “However, we are searching for other options to ensure that our drones continue to function just like they did previously. ”
This is the most recent problem that volunteers have in getting drones for the Russian and Ukrainian armies.
The biggest company that makes drones for business, DJI, stopped selling directly to both countries two months after the big attack started in February 2022. They also stopped their distributors everywhere in the world from selling DJI products to customers in Russia or Ukraine.
Ms Shypovych said that there were a lot fewer Chinese drones for sale in Europe between August and September 2022.
It’s doubtful that it occurred randomly. “She says European countries are where Ukrainians get drones from. ”
When the BBC asked DJI, they couldn’t say for sure if the number of drones they were giving to distributors in Europe had changed or not.
None of the 10 UK companies that sell DJI products and were asked by the BBC were able to comment on the issue.
A recent investigation by The New York Times found that Chinese companies have reduced the number of drones and parts they sell to people in Ukraine.
However, other countries are also impacted by this situation, not just Ukraine.
Russia’s Kommersant newspaper said that the regulations put in place by China’s government on drone exports have made it very difficult for Russia to receive the supplies they need. This has caused a shortage of certain parts, like thermal imaging cameras.
When Russian buyers can’t get drones directly, they often go to other countries like Kazakhstan to buy Chinese drones. However, it has become tougher for them because Kazakhstan has made its own rules about importing drones.
To reduce the effects of the Chinese restrictions, Ukrainian volunteers have been working hard to find other options made in different countries, both in the West and Ukraine.
Anatoly Polkovnikov, who assists in getting drones, shares that a Ukrainian start-up is getting ready to start producing drone motors.
He believes that the Chinese restrictions won’t affect the overall situation and is hopeful for the future. I think that in the future, they will encourage more production in Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine is the first time drones have been used in a big way, and both sides want to continue using them a lot.