VELIKIY NOVGOROD, September 6. /TASS/. The total supply of FPV-drones for the Ukrainian military may amount to 2 million during 2024, a representative of the Center for Unmanned Competences with the call sign Bars said at the All-Russia Conference of Operators of Combat Unmanned Systems, Dronnitsa-2024.
"The Ukrainian army has formed strike companies, for which the most effective drone operators were selected. These companies are becoming the backbone of the Ukrainian forces of unmanned systems. A total of 1 million FPV drones has been supplied to these forces this year. Given the current pace, by the end of 2024 there will be 2 million attack drones," spokesman said.
He also mentioned the principles of supplying the Ukrainian troops with drones.
"According to open sources, in 2023, about 40 billion rubles was allocated to finance the Ukrainian project Drone Army. The funds were used to supply the group of troops with drones. The drone service was moved to a rear area where soldiers don't have to do repairs, which is very correct. When you have an operator who is also an engineer and a searcher for new technologies, he has no time to fight," the specialist said.
The representative of the Center for Unmanned Competencies added that the office of the Drone Army was based in China to collect information on new technologies.
"Ukraine declares that it takes just one week to test new technologies. I was to China recently, and I was told that there is an office of the Army of Drones in Hong Kong, which interacts with the Chinese and collects all information about new technologies in advance. They instantly buy up the technologies, bring them to the frontline, test them and, if they see that this or that technology is effective enough, they buy it. It is no secret that 90% of Chinese manufacturers of FPV drones send them to Ukraine. They solve their tasks very quickly," he said, adding that the Drone Army included about 500 Ukrainian development companies.
The Dronnitsa-2024 conference is running in Veliky Novgorod from September 6 to 8. The event is organized by the Novorossiya Assistance Coordination Center.