EU’s proposed sanctions could throttle Russian gamers in controller ban

The European Union is preparing yet another round of sanctions against Russia, focusing on selling controllers, joysticks, and related video game equipment. Prohibiting the trade of these items with Russia is supposed to curb the country’s military and limit its capability to operate drones.

As reported by the Financial Times on Jan. 28, the EU has proposed a total ban on the sale of video game equipment to Russia, primarily in an attempt to cripple the country’s drones, which are often operated with standard video game controllers and joysticks. This comes as part of a broader ban on the sales of consoles to Russia since “apparently, these are the ones that they operate drones with,” the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said.

As the Financial Times report says, this ban probably won’t have a broader effect on Russia’s drone-operating capabilities. Olena Bilousova, an expert on military goods from the Kyiv School of Economics, told the outlet that, while these types of controllers should be banned, Chinese products dominate the Russian military. She argues that they are available on online marketplaces in Russia, expressing doubt that these EU sanctions would have a “significant impact” on Russian drone capabilities.

These sanctions aim to take effect on Feb. 24, right on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is just one of numerous steps taken by the EU to curb the Russian war effort and help Ukraine persevere against the aggression.

It is incredible that war inevitably reaches each and every segment of society, with even video games and consoles and their respective equipment turning into military applications and playing a part in the use of some of the most devastating tools ever conceived.