A drone unit controlled by Ukrainian civilian volunteers performed more than 300 reconnaissance missions per day in the Russia-Ukraine War. According to one of its members, Mykhailo (no last name), they also staged attacks on Business Insider that destroyed “dozens, possibly hundreds of Russian vehicles.”

Many attacks were remade on social media, where the so-called Aerorozvidka units have rapidly gained support since the beginning of the conflict.

Aerorozvidka’s biggest victory so far has been to block the advance of a Russian convoy aiming to attack the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

According to Colonel Yaroslav Honchar, the team succeeded in a night raid with 30 men in quads armed with rifles and drones equipped with a thermal camera and explosives of up to 1.3 kg.

“We are all soldiers now”

Colonel Honchar’s coordination confirms the importance the civilian group has acquired in the strategy of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to resist the Russian invasion.

Aerorozvidka emerged as an NGO in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of the Crimea region and the emergence of separatist groups in the Donbas region.

The association consists mainly of IT professionals.

“Some of us have PhDs. Some of us have masters. Some of us are from the IT industry or other industries. What unites us is the will to win this war,” says Mykhailo, the group’s communications officer. “We are all soldiers now”

pirate plane

Volunteers use different types of drones. They usually customize “civilian” drones from common store brands like DJI, Autel, and French Parrot.

In other cases, the tool is made from scratch. An example is an R-18 octopter that costs around $20,000. It has a range of 4 km, a flight range of 40 minutes and can drop bombs weighing up to 5 kg.

This amount is subsidized by donations from supporters – hence the group’s attack on social networks, seeking public support.