Ukrainian military invites drone enthusiasts to join the fight

Amateurs are volunteering themselves and their drones en masse after the Ukrainian government invited them to fight for the country last week. “Kyiv needs you and your drone,” said a Facebook post on the official page of the Ukrainian army.

Experienced users of drones are invited to participate in the tasks with the “112th unit of the Kyiv Separate Brigade”. People who don’t want to compete can also donate their drones. According to DroneDJ, more and more evidence is emerging that drones from outside Ukraine are also provided by both individuals and government agencies.

Also from the outside

Last Thursday, companies from Latvia have already delivered about 90 drones to the besieged country. There are also more and more messages on Twitter from individuals and companies who buy drones in Europe and send them to Ukraine. Romeo Dorscher, Vice President of Drone Company Auterion, said in a tweet For example, he sent some drones to Kyiv.

The delivered drones are used to monitor the movements of Russian troops. In doing so, GPS data and other things are transmitted to the Ukrainian forces. Some drones are also equipped with night and temperature sensors, so they can also be used at night.

easy to detect

Drones cannot actually be used as weapons because they are so small. However, rumors circulate on Reddit that the drones are being used to “throw Molotov cocktails and grenades at the Russians.” However, this has not yet been confirmed. Commercial drones have been used as weapons in conflict areas in the past.

Some drones will also be easy to spot. For example, DJI, Ukraine’s largest supplier of commercial drones, offers a tool that will likely make it easier to locate an inexperienced operator. The tool, AeroScope, is designed to give authorities the ability to detect drones flying in restricted airspace. It can also be accessed by Russian and Ukrainian authorities.

However, according to Ukrainian UAV experts, AeroScope can be circumvented. However, there is a risk that Russian forces will shoot at the location of the pilot of a drone. Australian drone expert Mike Monnick told The Associated Press that Russian forces are actively discussing on Telegram how to track down the drones. “The risks to citizens using drones remain significant,” Monique says. Locating the pilot could trigger a homing missile.”