On August 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky implemented a decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to impose sanctions on companies involved in the UAV technologies using artificial intelligence in Russian drones. They are intended to restrict key chains in the development of Russian strike drones with AI elements.
The corresponding decree No. 599/2025 was published on the website of the Office of the President.
Sanctions Commissioner Vladyslav Vlasyuk says that Russia is actively investing in the UAV technologies using artificial intelligence, which increases the autonomy, accuracy, and resistance to electronic warfare in drones, and also allows them to automatically navigate, recognize, and track targets even without the participation of an operator.
To create such drones, a modern electronic component base and significant computing resources are essential. Sanctions were imposed specifically against companies that provide these capabilities.
For example, the “Progmatic” enterprise, which produces the “Microb” 10 UAV, small-sized FPV kamikaze drones with an electronic autopilot and an automatic target acquisition system based on artificial intelligence, was added to the sanctions list.
The restrictions also include the manufacturer of the “Soroka” UAV and the “Smart Birds” FPV kamikaze drones with a combat load of up to 3.5 kg. The drones produced there are equipped with an optical target tracking system and are capable of automatically overcoming radio shadow zones and electronic warfare interference.
Also on the sanctions list is the Center for Artificial Intelligence Technologies "Neurolab", which develops and trains AI models for UAVs that provide autonomous navigation, target recognition, and processing data from sensors (cameras, radars, etc.). For this, significant computing resources are involved, which are provided by the participants of this center.
Sanctions were also imposed against the Center for the UAV Systems and Technologies (CUTS), a Russian organization created to innovate in the field of unmanned systems and technologies.
The sanctions list includes companies not only from the Russian Federation, but also from third countries, including China. These include companies such as “Dongguan Standard Trading Co.”, “Zhejiang Lianxing Machinery Co.”, “Guangzhou Benquan Import & Export”, “Shenzhen Sky Bow Navigation Technology”, “Harbin Bin-Au Technology Development”, “Topscom Precision Industry”.
All of them supply key components for Shahed and other UAVs: navigation receivers, engines, routers, cameras, microcircuits, transistors, resistors, and resonators.
The President also signed Decree No. 600/2025 on technical amendments to the regulation on the sanctions register to enable the inclusion of vessels there.
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