In this edition of Dorozvidka:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taras Chmut, head of the Come Back Alive Foundation, said Ukraine needs to abandon illusions about the technological uniqueness of Ukrainian drones. Speaking at the Security Architecture conference, he warned that Ukraine risks losing the global competition if the ban on weapons exports remains in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If you look at what we call the Ukrainian technological miracle, there is very little Ukrainian technology there. An FPV drone is essentially 10\u201315 components that we buy and assemble. Our strength lies in learning how to quickly assemble a cheap, high-quality, functional product. That’s what we do well,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Chmut, another key strength of Ukrainian companies is their ability to adapt products to a battlefield that changes every three to four months. At the same time, he pointed out that Ukraine still lacks a complete manufacturing chain, from raw materials to components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If you look at our deep-strike drones, reconnaissance drones, and mid-range systems<\/a>, the most valuable parts are communications, navigation and optics \u2014 and we buy them. If Silvus disappeared tomorrow, it would hurt us badly. If Starlink disappeared tomorrow, we would lose all those impressive videos from the SBU, HUR, Unmanned Systems Forces, Special Operations Forces and other branches of the Defence Forces,” Chmut said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, musician Oleksandr Yarmak joined the military. Today, he commands Darknode Battalion, one of the most technologically advanced units within the 412th Nemesis Brigade. The battalion is known for its effective use of FPV drones<\/a> against Shaheds<\/a> and is also actively testing new interception technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking at DOU Day, Yarmak discussed why developing new drones is not always the answer, what technologies the Unmanned Systems Forces actually need, and whether frontline R&D makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDarknode Battalion commander Oleksandr Yarmak on shooting down Shaheds and R&D<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n