Spanish firm faces backlash for selling faulty drones to Ukraine

According to information published on the portal, the transaction occurred in June 2023 through the Lithuanian company E-Strategija, which specializes in innovative defense equipment.

The intermediary was supposed to settle the 314,000 euros for the equipment. Information obtained by El Independiente also indicates that technicians in Poland conducted the drone operation training. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense was the intended end user of the equipment.

During tests, the machines could not even take off. Sources from the Spanish portal reported that SDLE, which advertised itself as a drone manufacturer, imported the machines from China and then sold them at higher prices.

For example, SDLE offered the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense approximately 100,000 dollars worth of Melkor brand drones, which cost about 14,000 dollars. The Lithuanian company is demanding a refund of the 125,600 euros down payment from the Spaniards.

At the end of October, Manuel and Aurelio Rio sold their company SDLE for about 10-12 million euros. Earlier in the year, Aurelio was arrested on charges of selling an anti-drone system to a Libyan paramilitary group, which violated existing sanctions. Additionally, as El Independiente reports, in March 2022, the Rio brothers sold nearly 3,000 bulletproof vests to a Belgian company, which ended up in Ukraine. However, they had a lower standard than declared.

Drones play an important role in the conflict in Ukraine. They are used on such a large scale that, according to some, they have even become a symbol of this war.

Ukrainians and Russians often use inexpensive and simple FPV (first person view) drones with built-in cameras, to which they attach several pounds of explosives and use these constructions as kamikaze drones. Such drones provide live, real-time footage until the moment they hit the target. However, more expensive models are significant as they offer more possibilities and broader functionality regarding reconnaissance and strike actions. This equipment is sometimes commercial gear adapted to the realities of armed conflict and specifically designed for military purposes.