Ukraine has bought some 1,400 drones, mostly for reconnaissance, and plans to develop combat models that can attack the exploding drones Russia has used during its invasion of the country, according to the Ukrainian government minister in charge of technology.
In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov described Russia’s war in Ukraine as the first major war of the internet age. He credited drones and satellite internet systems like Elon Musk’s Starlink with having transformed the conflict.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukrainian minister of digital transformation, poses for a photo illuminated by a lamp in the shape of a Ukrainian trident, a national symbol, in his office in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022 – AP/Felipe Dana
Ukraine has purchased drones like the Fly Eye from WB in Poland, a small unmanned aerial vehicle used for intelligence, battlefield surveillance and reconnaissance.
Fly Eye
“And the next stage, now that we are more or less equipped with reconnaissance drones, is strike drones,” Fedorov said. “These are both exploding drones and drones that fly up to three to 10 kilometers and hit targets.”
He predicted “more missions with strike drones” in the future, but would not elaborate. “We are talking there about drones, UAVs, UAVs that we are developing in Ukraine. Well, anyway, it will be the next step in the development of technologies,” he said.
Photo: Ukrainian soldiers watch drone feeds from an underground command center in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2022 – AP/Libkos
Sources: AP; WB website