The Ministry of Statistics announced the launch of the "Army of Drones" project on July 1. On the first day alone, more than 84.6 million hryvnias (2.8 million dollars) were deposited into the account of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and as of July 5 collected already almost 200 million hryvnias (6.7 million dollars).
A website was created to collect funds UNITED24. There you can transfer funds to a special account of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in the National Bank, or learn how to hand over your own drone to the Ukrainian military.
The priority of the project is 200 professional unmanned aerial systems of the tactical level for aerial reconnaissance. Such drones can fly for up to 24 hours, at a distance of up to 160 km and at an altitude of up to 5 km. They are equipped with several thermal imaging cameras, position sensors and software. The main thing is that they are difficult to notice, and therefore difficult to knock down.
"This is a war not only of people, but also of technology. Our IT army defeats Russia in cyberspace every day, but the "Drone Army" will accelerate our victory on the real battlefield. It is important that this is not a one-time action, but a comprehensive program that will include the systematic purchase of drones, their repair and prompt replacement, as well as a pilot training course. We call on the whole world to join the "Army of Drones": from big business to every caring person," said Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Digital Transformation, responsible for UNITED24 from the government side.
"The project that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are launching together with the Ministry of Digital and the platform of the President of Ukraine UNITED24 is very important for us. "Drone Army" will help the Armed Forces focus on planning and conducting military operations using modern technologies. Therefore, we expect that the front line, which is about 2,470 km, will be constantly monitored to effectively repel enemy attacks," added Colonel Oleksiy Noskov, Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.