EU mulls ban on Xbox and PlayStation console exports to Russia over alleged use of controllers in drone warfare

The European Union may ban the export of gaming consoles to Russia, according to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who suggested that the bloc’s new sanctions against Moscow could include Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox. Telegram channels have previously reported that both the Russian and Ukrainian armies have been using Steam Decks to control military hardware.

“We are really looking into all the types of things that help Russia to wage this war [in order] to put them on the sanctions list. Even the consoles for video games, because apparently these are the ones that they operate drones with,” Kallas was cited by the Financial Times as saying.

Many of the world’s largest console manufacturers — including U.S.-headquartered Microsoft and Japan’s Sony and Nintendo — stopped shipping their products to Russia in early March 2022, shortly after the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The new ban would extend to retailers in EU member states that supply gaming consoles to Russia — including second-hand sellers.

Defense analyst Kirill Mikhailov told The Insider that gaming console controllers can theoretically be used to control drones, though this task could also be achieved with any computer or even a smartphone.

Mikhailov added that the Ukrainian army has previously been known to use SteamDeck consoles for remotely operating turrets. The Telegram channel Mash — widely believed to be affiliated with the Russian authorities — reported in October 2024 that the Russian military planned to use Steam Deck devices to remotely control thermal imaging cameras.

“I’m not aware of the widespread use of gaming consoles as controllers, but as the example of Steam Deck shows, such a possibility exists in theory,” Mikhailov noted.

Gaming consoles are expected to be included in the new sanctions package, timed to coincide with the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, according to the Financial Times.

Kallas also noted that chemicals “needed for the Russian military industry” would be included in the sanctions package, along with restrictions on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). While the EU has banned nearly all pipeline gas and oil imports from Russia following the start of the full-scale war, its purchases of Russian LNG have surged as a result, hitting a record high in 2024.