Hunting down civilians

US technology enables Russian war crimes

A Ukrainian drone filmed numerous Ubiquiti antennas on a church tower in the Russian region of Kursk, enabling Russia to communicate on the battlefield.(Bild: Screenshot/Telegram/Sternenko)

Russian troops are using drones to hunt down civilians in Ukraine. This is made possible by technology from the US company Ubiquiti, which is being supplied to Russia by circumventing sanctions. The company claims ignorance.

Russian soldiers in Ukraine are hunting people with so-called first-person view drones. To control such a drone, the pilot needs a wireless connection. In many cases, this signal is provided by radio links from the billion-dollar corporation Ubiquiti, as revealed by the investigative media outlet Hunterbrook. The platform identified nine Russian military units in Ukraine that are accused of war crimes and use this equipment.

Tens of thousands of antennas in use
Roughly tens of thousands of such devices are in use by the Russian military to control drones, but also for general communication on the battlefield. Around 80 percent of the Russian radio links encountered were from Ubiquiti, a Ukrainian communications officer told Hunterbrook. That's because "Ubiquiti is made for normal people – basically plug-and-play. There are countless tutorials on YouTube."

Russia is also using US billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink satellite system to control Shahed drones. This connection could be shut down remotely, as Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski has now demanded. However, this step would also have a significant impact on Ukrainian communications. In any case, Ubiquiti antennas cannot be deactivated remotely. In addition to being easy to use, this is another reason why Russia relies on them so heavily.

A Ukrainian drone filmed numerous Ubiquiti antennas on a church tower in the Russian region of Kursk, which enable Russia to communicate on the battlefield.(Bild: Screenshot/Telegram/Sternenko)

Russians wrote a thank-you letter to dealers
But how do the company's technical components get there when exports are banned? By circumventing the sanctions against Russia, which is apparently easy to do. A Hunterbrook reporter posed as a Russian procurement officer to international dealers selling Ubiquiti products. Not only did several dealers agree to sell him components, one even showed the reporter a thank-you letter that the Russian military had written to him for the delivery.

And there is brisk trade: after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ubiquiti deliveries actually increased by two-thirds despite US and EU sanctions. Even the latest models were delivered to Russia, in some cases via detours, such as through Turkey or Kazakhstan. Shipping to third countries is a well-known tactic for circumventing sanctions against Russia. Wholesaler Multilink Solutions, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, also agreed to the reporter's request to deliver to Turkey.

Corporation would have legal recourse
The US corporation Ubiquiti claims that it does not have an overview of all intermediaries and their activities. However, it would even have legal recourse against dealers in Russia. This is because the company had its logo protected by the Russian copyright authority in 2025 – but despite this success, it did not take action against dealers who use the name and logo without permission.

Not the first violation of sanctions
Ubiquiti now faces legal problems for violating US export regulations, because ignorance is no defense in this case. According to experts, the company has the means to track its products, for example through serial numbers. Back in 2014, Ubiquiti had to pay a fine because components turned up in Iran – a violation of the sanctions imposed on the mullah regime. Robert Pera, founder and CEO of Ubiquiti, said at the time: "This cannot happen again. If it does, I will be in big trouble."