07 April 2023

After one year of the conflict in Ukraine, eight million people have fled the country, and approximately five million remain internally displaced. Residents continue to live in areas under attack, often without essentials like food, water, medicine, or electricity. While the challenges faced by those affected are significant, many organizations and individuals are working to provide support and relief.

Drone manufacturer Draganfly has been working with partners such as Cold Chain Delivery Services and Drone Aid to provide its innovative drone technology to Ukraine to help deal with the challenges created by the ongoing conflict.

Draganfly has over two decades of experience designing and manufacturing custom airframes, payloads, and sensors, and managing complex flight operations for industry leaders serving the public safety, agriculture, industrial inspections, security, mapping, and surveying markets. Using its experience and technology, Draganfly significantly impacts how organizations operate and provide humanitarian aid. Here are some of the ways Draganfly’s drones have made an impact:

Draganfly’s Medical Response Drones in Ukraine

Draganfly fulfilled orders for its Medical Response Drones in March of 2022 when the conflict in Ukraine began. The Medical Response Drones provided by Draganfly can carry up to 35 pounds and equipped with an automatic payload drop function that uses proximity sensors for safe cargo release. When equipped with the company’s temperature-managed Medical Response Payload Box, this drone can transport temperature-sensitive medical supplies, including insulin/medicines, blood, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, water, and wound care kits. These drones have been used primarily to deliver insulin to hospitals in hard-to-reach areas. Around 2.3 million people in Ukraine live with diabetes and need multiple insulin injections daily to survive.

Draganfly’s Landmine Detection Drones in Ukraine

In June 2022, Draganfly President and CEO Cameron Chell visited Ukraine to demonstrate Draganfly’s UAV-based landmine detection technologies for local emergency management personnel and demining groups. Draganfly’s technology is used to enhance landmine detection methods using specialized payload sensors. The collected data is transferred to Cloud storage, where artificial intelligence (AI) technology maps the area, allowing demining teams to understand where to go, what to look for, and where not to step.

The Ukraine government has estimated that there may be around 70,000 square miles covered with landmines and other unexploded ordinances. Draganfly’s drones can map a hectare of land in an hour, speeding up the demining process by up to 40% while preventing fatalities. The Ukraine State Emergency Service reported that it would take approximately ten years to demine its territory after the conflict ends.

Watch Cameron Chell Talk About Landmine Detection

Draganfly’s Search and Rescue Drones

The Search and Rescue Drones provided by Draganfly have been used during active emergency, medical, battlefield, and disaster response situations. These Drones thoroughly map certain areas to locate survivors and begin measuring core vitals before ground crews arrive. The Search and Rescue Drone is a high-endurance UAV capable of utilizing Draganfly’s optical and infrared imaging solutions, mapping, and Vital Intelligence technologies. This drone has helped to reduce response times and increases situational awareness. These drones offer real hope by reducing the time it takes to find someone after a region has been attacked.

Draganfly’s Partnership with DEF-C Ukraine

Draganfly’s humanitarian work in Ukraine has created opportunities to work with many different organizations, including DEF-C, a Ukrainian company involved in the civil and defense sectors. This partnership has the potential to make an even bigger impact on the lives of those affected by the crises in Ukraine. Draganfly is fulfilling an order for 30 reconnaissance drones through its channel partner DEF-C, along with continued support from Drone Aid. The reconnaissance drone is a versatile VTOL drone that utilizes imaging solutions to provide real-time observations to the operator and downloadable maps for future use. The drones can be quickly and easily deployed to assist in hazardous and inaccessible areas. Reconnaissance drones are saving hundreds of soldiers lives in Ukraine by providing visual awareness of targeted areas and preventing groups from being ambushed.

Draganfly’s Work with DSNS Emergency Services Ukraine

Most recently, Draganfly has delivered the first of three Situational Assessment Drones to DSNS Emergency Services Department in Kyiv, Ukraine. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine implements state policies in the domain of civil protection, protection of population and territories from emergencies, prevention of emergencies, rectification of emergency consequences, rescue work, fire extinguishing, fire and technogenic safety, accident rescue service activities, and hydrometeorologic activities. Draganfly’s Situational Assessment Drones were sent over to help regions of Ukraine with intel gathering, infrastructure assessments, and aid in search and rescue operations throughout the country.

The Situational Assessment Drone is an automated VTOL drone that utilizes RGB & Multi-Spectral imaging solutions to quickly provide the operator with instantly available maps for future use. The drones are lightweight, easy to deploy and provide multiple flight and data capture options. These drones help improve situational awareness, assist in hazardous and inaccessible areas, and can increase overall efficiency for ground resources.

Helping First Responders

How Draganfly Plans to Deepen its Activity in Ukraine in 2023

Draganfly's efforts in Ukraine have demonstrated its drone technology's potential to impact Ukraine during this crisis positively. The company's partnerships with humanitarian and government agencies have helped to improve public safety, emergency response, and surveying. As drone technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative solutions emerge from Draganfly and save more lives as a result.

For more Info on Draganfly's Efforts in Ukraine, click HERE.