The situation with drones in the market is becoming increasingly pronounced: the demand for Chinese Mavic quadcopters in Ukraine is growing, but restrictions from China are leading to a shortage of these devices. Ukrainian military officials are seeking alternatives, moving towards their own developments and turning to volunteers for assistance.
'We know that there are a number of new analogs from other foreign manufacturers,' confirmed Egor Firsov, commander of the strike UAV platoon.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is providing battalions with the opportunity to independently purchase drones, as well as launching the 'DOT Chain Defence' marketplace to simplify procurement. In addition, the Ministry of Strategic Industries is developing alternatives to the Chinese Mavic, including the 'Shmavik' drone and the 'Mamba', 'Shark', and 'Valkyrie' platforms.
According to Vadim Horyushka, director of VPP Invest, this crisis may serve as a stimulus for the development of domestic technologies. The state, in turn, supports domestic manufacturers by exempting drones from duties and VAT, and actively works on creating its own platforms and testing projects.