‘Army of Drones’ initiative praised by former MP and UAV Squad Commander

In an exclusive interview with Radio NV on Dec. 1, former MP and current UAV Squad Commander Yehor Sobolev lauded the Ministry of Digital Transformation’s “Army of Drones” initiative as one of the most effective endeavors of the past two years.

Sobolev, also a drone unit commander, expressed satisfaction with the program, citing the acquisition of night bomber drones and the subsequent destruction of a significant amount of enemy equipment.

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“We are very satisfied, having already destroyed a significant amount of enemy equipment with these acquired drones,” Sobolev said.

“I believe the efficiency is not in the hundreds but in the thousands of times, considering the production costs and what we have managed to destroy with these manufactured and acquired drones,” he said.

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Sobolev emphasized the effectiveness of the Army of Drones initiative, stating that it provides essential weaponry, including night bombers, which has proven instrumental in achieving strategic military objectives.

The establishment of specialized UAV squads, coupled with the Army of Drones initiative, constitutes “two excellent military solutions,” significantly impacting the enemy’s operations, said Sobolev.

However, not all voices are singing praises. Vitaliy Deynega, founder of the “Return Alive” foundation and a former deputy defense minister, on Nov. 25 urged a reboot of the State Special Communications Service (SSCS) and called for an audit of the Army of Drones initiative. Deynega criticized the SSCS as a corrupt entity and accused Mykhailo Fedorov, head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, of advocating for its interests within the President’s Office.

Yuriy Nikolov, editor of the “Nashi Groshi” project, countered these claims, stating in a Radio NV interview that identified shortcomings in the Army of Drones project have been or are being addressed. He accused Deynega and former Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov of sabotaging the Defense Ministry’s drone procurement.

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Implemented in collaboration with the General Staff, the State Special Communications Service, the Defense Ministry, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and the fundraising platform UNITED24, the comprehensive Army of Drones project involves systematic drone procurement, repair and operational replacement, and operator training.

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