Ukraine bans pawnshops from accepting drones and thermal imagers

The newly adopted Regulations No. 51 and No. 53 expand the list of dual-use goods prohibited for pledge, including drones and thermal imagers.

Here's What We Know

The list of prohibited goods includes various types of UAVs, non-visual devices, quadcopters, etc. The new rules will come into force on 4 May, so it will no longer be possible to bring such goods to the relevant establishments.

The bans are being implemented as part of Decree No. 234/2024 "On Counteracting the Negative Effects of Online Gambling", which is intended to ban access to gambling for military personnel during martial law.

In particular, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine plans to negotiate with major IT companies such as Apple and Google to block illegal online casinos on their platforms.

Source: Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine