Ukraine National Railways to Create Drone Unit to Protect Its Tracks

Ukraine’s railways operator is to form a drone division comprised of war veterans to monitor the state of its rail network, the company has announced.

The plan to use drones was outlined on the Ukrzaliznytsia 's official Facebook page.

“This initiative will help ensure the protection of railway facilities, as well as provide an opportunity for veterans [of the war in Ukraine] to apply their military experience and skills in civilian work," the official statement of the national railways, Ukrzaliznytsia, says.

Ukrzaliznytsia has already signed a memorandum with the Kruk UAV operator training center.

Training will be conducted through an online platform for veterans, which is created by this training center together with the Vidrodzhennia Foundation.

Instructors of the center will work on retraining veteran railway workers. They will train employees to pilot copters, as well as teach engineering training, including the assembly and maintenance of drones.

“UAVs will be used to combat theft of Ukrzaliznytsia’s property at stations and stages, record offenses, detect fuel theft from locomotives, inspect infrastructure during martial law, as well as to participate in the investigation of traffic accidents,” Ukrzaliznytsia spokesperson says.

Initially it will create a test unit which, once the concept is proven, will be expanded across the whole rail network to help ensuring the efficiency of the railways in the future.

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