ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Ukraine has set out the goal of establishing a 15 kilometer unmanned “kill zone” along the front lines, which would see the most advanced Ukrainian drone units deploy a mix of surveillance and strike drones against Russian troops, according to government and defense-industry officials.
The project, dubbed the Drone Line, was announced by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on Feb 9. According to statements made by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, it has two core objectives: building a continuous drone reconnaissance capability along the line of defense, and boosting support for and coordination with infantry units to create a kind buffer strip where no troops can move undetected.
Kyiv’s call for an unmanned buffer zone came before U.S. proclamations saying Ukraine and Europe would largely be bystanders in negotiations between Washington and Moscow aimed at ending the war. High-ranking delegations were set to meet in Ryadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, though an actual ceasefire could take months to hammer out.
Mykyta Rozhkov, chief managing officer at the Ukrainian robotics engineering company Frontline, explains that the envisioned zone’s technical specifications are in line with Kyiv’s capability plans for unmanned systems.
“It reflects current technological capabilities and strategic considerations — this range allows for effective recon and engagement of enemy forces before they can pose a direct threat to Ukrainian positions,” Rozhkov told Defense News ahead of the IDEX defense expo here.
Given the rate at which local manufacturers are able to field drones, there is potential to expand the range to up to 40 kilometers, he added.
Several Ukrainian companies are currently able to produce as many as 2,500 heavy drones per month and 4,000 small drones per day, according to a statement published on social media by Valerii Iakovenko, the founder of DroneUA, a group encompassing a range of Ukrainian companies specializing in drone technology.
Representatives of the DroneUA ground robotics division were present at IDEX, where a key focus of the Ukrainian pavilion was showcasing the full spectrum of unmanned capabilities.
Among them is the Chaklun family of drones, for example, manufactured by the Ukrainian company RC Direction and shown for the first time in the Middle East market. The fixed-wing aircraft have been in use by the Ukrainian Armed Forces for several months.
“The Chaklun-K and Interceptor drones are functioning air defense systems designed to counter enemy reconnaissance and strike drone types – their main advantage is they can stay in the air for more than two hours in monitoring mode, which is much longer than conventional FPVs,” Ivan Sybyriakov, senior manager of the Unmanned Systems Center at SPETS Techno Export told Defense News.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.
