U.S. defense conglomerate Teledyne FLIR has come under scrutiny after blocking access to its website for users in Ukraine.
The move, which has been in place for years, has sparked frustration among Ukrainian journalists and military experts attempting to engage with the company’s publicly available services.
Visitors to the company’s website from Ukraine are met with a message stating, “Sorry, you have been blocked. You are unable to access flir.com.” The website, however, is accessible through VPN services if an alternate location is selected.
International monitoring services have corroborated the reports, confirming that Teledyne FLIR’s site is inaccessible not only in Ukraine but also in Russia. This dual restriction, according to company representatives, is tied to challenges in selectively blocking IP addresses.
In direct communication with Defence Blog, a representative stated, “The issue is that there’s no way to block IP addresses from ONLY the occupied/sanctioned areas. Wish it wasn’t so.”
Despite the website restrictions, Teledyne FLIR products are widely used in Ukraine, underscoring the paradox of the situation. Ukrainian forces and security agencies employ a range of advanced technologies from the company, including:
- Black Hornet nano drones used for covert reconnaissance.
- SkyRanger reconnaissance drones deployed for battlefield intelligence gathering.
- Ground robots such as PackBot and Centaur, utilized for bomb disposal and other high-risk tasks.
- Counter-drone systems designed to neutralize enemy unmanned aerial vehicles.
- Optical devices, including thermal imaging and surveillance equipment, provided by international partners or procured by Ukrainian security forces.
These systems, critical in Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression, have proven indispensable in various operational scenarios.
The restrictions are a stark contrast to other leading U.S. defense companies, such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon, and L3Harris, whose websites and services remain fully operational in Ukraine. Observers note that Teledyne FLIR’s approach may inadvertently hinder collaboration and transparency, particularly in a nation actively engaged in defending against ongoing aggression from Russia.
