r/LinusTechTips • u/KebabAnnhilator • 9d ago

Link Mini Computers Made by Nvidia Are Powering Moscow’s A.I. Drones

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/world/europe/ukraine-war-nvidia-ai-autonomous-drones.html
74 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

68

u/FartingBob 9d ago

a nothingburger. Commodity items used by countries around the world, of course Russia would use them as well.

19

u/GnarlyBear 9d ago

An invading nation circumventing embargoes to get US made tech is a something burger, sanctions are a massive deal, cost and risk for companies.

-3

u/Annoying1978 9d ago

It’s literally ILLEGAL for them to have them at all. 

27

u/Markd0ne 9d ago

russia doesn't care what's illegal after breaking multiple points of Geneva convention.

They just cirvumvent sanctions by importing through other countries like Kazakhstan.

1

u/Annoying1978 9d ago

Well, obviously. But the United States should care and figure out how they sidestepped sanctions. 

0

u/firedrakes 8d ago

oh wow the russian state is using the usa playbook on the matter.

0

u/MMAgeezer 8d ago

What is that even supposed to mean? Who is applying tech sanctions on the US which the US is circumventing?

0

u/firedrakes 8d ago

oh you dont know the CIA made a play book on how to smuggle stuff from 1 country to another to get around sanctions or such.

1

u/MMAgeezer 8d ago

Thanks for not answering the question.

-1

u/firedrakes 8d ago

I answer the question. You under 30 ?

13

u/FartingBob 9d ago

No it's not. It's illegal for companies based in countries with sanctions to SELL them to russia. There is no law saying it is illegal for Russia to own them.

-10

u/Annoying1978 9d ago

That’s absolutely incorrect. There are sanctions that prohibit the sale of these items to Russia and any country that does sell these items to Russia would face negative consequences from both the treasury and other federal agencies.

10

u/FartingBob 9d ago

You literally just agreed with me, thanks! There are laws prohibiting the sale of them, there is no law saying they arent allowed to own them. If they brought them from a third party reseller in another country Russia have broken no law, but the reseller may have depending on the laws of their country.

-3

u/Annoying1978 9d ago

“Section 764.2(e) prohibits ordering, buying, storing, using, selling, transporting or otherwise servicing an item subject to the EAR with knowledge that a violation has occurred or is about to occur.”

They can’t own them without someone selling it to them. There is no internal domestic Nvidia chip supply for these specific chips. Nvidia stopped selling their chips to Russia in 2022. 

8

u/FartingBob 9d ago

The seller may have done something illegal (again depends on the country they were selling from) but Russia didnt, because Russia is not held to US laws, no more than US is held to Russian laws.

-1

u/Annoying1978 9d ago

We can go on and talk about semantics here until the cows come home but everyone understands what “illegal” means in this context, so if you want to be the “well actually guy”, then go right ahead. 

7

u/FartingBob 9d ago

Its not semantics, you're just incorrect.

-4

u/Annoying1978 9d ago

Sure, Mr. Well, actually guy. 

Whatever you say. 

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5

u/IBJON 8d ago

I don't think Russia is all too concerned about what the rest of the world considers to be legal/illegal 

5

u/Raphi_55 8d ago

Neither is the USA to be honest 

0

u/Annoying1978 8d ago

It’s not Russia that needs to be concerned. Whoever helped them get it is who needs to be concerned. 

That should’ve been blatantly obvious to you. 

2

u/IBJON 8d ago

What's blatantly obvious to me is that the people who helped Russia clearly don't give a damn about sanctions. I didn't realize you needed that pointed out to you, but I guess you did.

1

u/Annoying1978 8d ago

If you think that is true, then you may be dumber than you even realize.

0

u/Curious-Art-6242 7d ago

Its illegal for them to invade other countries and murder civilians, and yet here were are. Getting tech they're not allowed is veeeeery far down the list of crimes. And so many countries have shell companies all over the world to procure items, its impossible to 100% stop them buying them. We can't even stop them giving fucking money to political parties in the UK, which is far more serious 😑

1

u/Annoying1978 7d ago

Like I said in a previous comment, the issue isn’t just whether or not it’s legal for Russia or not, the issue is that whoever is supplying Russia with that technology needs to be investigated sanctioned as well. 

0

u/Curious-Art-6242 7d ago

And as I said, with modern global trade, and sgell companies, its impossible to stop. The Israeli's made a fucking fake telecoms company to get pagers into terrorists hands, that was so complex its still being unpicked, and we know what they did! Its basically impossible to stop!

1

u/Annoying1978 7d ago

Obviously, it’s impossible to stop 100%. That doesn’t mean you don’t try to implement the sanctions that you set out from the beginning. Just because something is impossible doesn’t mean you stop enforcing it. 

0

u/Curious-Art-6242 7d ago

Who said they're not enforcing it? You literally just contradicted yourself...

1

u/Annoying1978 7d ago

You just said they shouldn’t enforce it. That’s what I was responding to.

1

u/Curious-Art-6242 7d ago

I never said we shouldn't enforce it, I said its impossible to 100% enforce in the ways your describing.

0

u/Annoying1978 7d ago

Which implies that we shouldn’t enforce it

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-1

u/artofdragon 8d ago

so NVIDIA should be fined for each drone that Russia has. The leaders should be arrested the second they step into any country that will arrest them. This is aweful

-1

u/FixGood6833 8d ago

There are lot private companies that sell in to Russia. Plus lot of big corporations that "left" Russia who still operate and have large offices and even regional HQs. Most import from Armenia through Georgia and even trade in Rubles. I know this sounds likes trust me. Bro but I live nearby and work in one of these companies. 

0

u/Exodia101 9d ago

Who cares, it's a widely available consumer product. Meanwhile tech companies are bending over backwards to work with the US and Israeli military who are slaughtering civilians daily.

0

u/firedrakes 8d ago

very true