Brussels is considering a sales ban on gaming consoles to Russia to prevent Russian armed forces from using them to control drones against targets in Ukraine. According to EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas, products like PlayStation and Xbox could be part of a new sanctions package set to take effect on February 22.
“We are really looking at all the things that help Russia wage this war and we’re putting them on the sanctions list. Even gaming consoles, because they seem to be used to control drones” she said.
The three largest console manufacturers – Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony – have not sold their consoles to Russia since March 2022. The EU sales ban would target resellers in the internal market who export the consoles to Russia, including second-hand retailers. Consoles already in Russia could be rendered inoperable by software locks in the event of an official ban.
As reported by the Financial Times, China has become the main supplier of gaming consoles to Russia. In 2024, the country exported devices worth over $120 million to Russia, a significant increase from the around $30 million in 2022.
“There is no single EU country that manufactures gaming consoles” said Jascha Chaddaschi, chairman of the Russian Association of Video Game Retailers, on the RBK platform. “The gaming consoles imported to Russia do not even pass through the European Union, so this statement either betrays a complete lack of understanding of the video game industry or is just another empty gesture.”
Chemicals needed for the Russian military industry, as well as restrictions on the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG), could also be included on the new sanctions list. Although the EU has almost all gas and oil imports from Russia banned, it increased its LNG imports from Russia last year to a maximum.
The proposed measures would also include import restrictions on Russian aluminum, according to the newspaper, citing three anonymous diplomats. The sanctions need to be unanimously approved by the 27 EU member states.