
The UK has expanded sanctions against Russia, banning the export of game controllers. According to British authorities, Russian troops are using them to control drones.
The export ban was included in a new package containing 150 trade restrictions against Russia, the British Embassy in Moscow reported. "Today's measures will deny the Russian military access to British technology and global software, and close loopholes exploited by the Russian authorities," the diplomatic mission said on TELEGRAM.
British authorities also said they were blocking Russia's access to advanced technologies, including software for finding and operating oil and gas wells.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that drones are a key factor in the Russian army's combat success. He stated that by 2024 , the Russian Armed Forces will receive over 1.5 million drones of various types.
The European Union banned the supply of joysticks to Russia as part of the 16th round of sanctions imposed on February 24. Along with the controllers, the sanctions list included 48 individuals and 35 organizations. The restrictive measures also targeted the export of certain goods and the import of primary aluminum. Moscow considers the sanctions illegal.
Alexander Khasanov, HEAD of the electronics procurement department at EMSI, the largest supplier of video games and consoles, told RBC that drones primarily use the XInput control standard fromMICROSOFT , developed for the Xbox 360 console. "But now it's ubiquitous. Almost every controller you can buy from a factory in CHINA uses this standard. So, banning the export of game consoles because they could be used for military purposes is laughable to those in the know," he said.
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