Ukraine says it has developed improved versions of the popular Chinese Mavic drone, and these drones are already being actively used on the front lines. As Business Insider reports, three domestic developers have created new models that meet NATO standards, and they are already being used by Ukrainian military units.
DJI's Mavic drones have become one of the most common drones used on the front lines in Ukraine. However, in December 2024, it became known that China was restricting the export of key components such as motors, batteries, and flight controllers, which affected the production of Ukrainian drones.
Low reliability and high losses of drones – up to five Mavics per day in some units – forced Ukraine to look for alternatives. Thus, the need arose to develop its own drones capable of performing reconnaissance missions and effectively countering Russian electronic warfare.
According to the Brave1 defense innovation team, four models of new Ukrainian drones are equipped with communication systems that increase their resistance to enemy electronic attacks. One of these models is Shmavik, developed by Reactive Drone. This drone has the ability to fly for up to 60 minutes, with a range of up to 15 km and is capable of carrying a load of up to 1 kg. Its main purpose is to perform reconnaissance operations on the front line.
Another model, the Ucropter, developed by Bravery Invest, has significant advantages over the Mavic. It can lift up to 1.8 kg of cargo, fly for up to 60 minutes, and reach speeds of up to 74 km/h. In comparison, the newer Mavic has the same speed but less payload and flight time.
Ukrainian drones are already being actively purchased for the needs of the Ukrainian army. The codification of the Shmavyk drone allowed its official purchase by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
