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Draft:Victory Drones

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Victory Drones

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Victory Drones
AbbreviationVD
Founded2022
FounderMaria Berlinska
LocationKyiv, Ukraine
Fieldstechnological training for military and civilians, technology advocacy
Parent organization
Aerial Reconnaissance Support Center
Websitehttps://victory-drones.com/en

Victory Drones (VD) is a Ukrainian educational and technology initiative focused on the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in Ukraine's defense. Founded in 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, by the NGO Aerial Reconnaissance Support Center[1].

The initiative provides training for military personnel and civilians, supports the development of Ukraine's drone industry, and facilitates cooperation between military units, engineers, manufacturers, volunteers, and technology specialists[2]. As of August 2026, Victory Drones reported having more than 200 instructors and approximately 30 volunteers involved in training, support, and administration[3].

History

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Volunteers and activists established Victory Drones in spring 2022, building on the Aerial Reconnaissance Support Center, a non-governmental organization founded in 2015. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the initiative expanded its focus from aerial reconnaissance to the development of a broader community of military personnel and civilians working with unmanned systems[4].

The initiative was founded by Ukrainian activist Maria Berlinska who had previously worked to develop aerial reconnaissance capabilities in Ukraine. In its early stages, Victory Drones developed online training and practical instruction for drone operators, while volunteers from Razom for Ukraine assisted with the procurement, logistics, and delivery of equipment. In 2023, the Aerial Reconnaissance Support Center began working with the newly established Dignitas Foundation, headed by Liubov Shypovych[5][6].

The initiative subsequently evolved from a training program into a broader ecosystem that combines military education, civilian involvement in drone production, support for the development of Ukraine's defense technology sector, and professional networking[7].

Military training

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One of Victory Drones' main activities is training military personnel to operate and use unmanned systems.

In 2022, the initiative launched the online course Application of Technologies in Modern Warfare  on the Ukrainian educational platform Prometheus. The course covers multirotor and FPV drones as well as electronic warfare, electronic intelligence, communications, cybersecurity, and command-and-control systems. It is available to military personnel and members of other Ukrainian security and emergency services. More than 150,000 people had registered for the course by February 2024[8][9].

Victory Drones has also conducted practical training for Ukrainian military personnel in cooperation with the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. By December 2025, the initiative reported that more than 150,000 military personnel had undergone practical training. Training has included aerial reconnaissance using multirotor drones, FPV systems, interceptor drones, battlefield information systems, cybersecurity, open-source intelligence, electronic warfare, and electronic intelligence[10][11].

In 2023, Victory Drones began training military personnel in FPV drone operations, including programs associated with the assignment of a military specialty[12]. According to Berlinska[7], more than 7,000 specialists had been trained through the program over nearly three years.

The initiative has also supported programs aimed at increasing the participation of women in military drone operations. Victory Drones trained 100 female service members during a program established by Dignitas in 2023[13].

Civilian education

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Victory Drones defines its goal as the technological militarization of Ukrainian society and seeks to involve civilians in the wartime drone ecosystem, including through educational initiatives.

In October 2023, Victory Drones and the Ukrainian drone manufacturer Vyriy Industries launched Narodnyi FPV ("Folk's FPV"), an online program that teaches how to assemble FPV drones. The initiative was publicly supported by Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation at that time. Participants purchased components and assembled drones themselves before sending them to Victory Drones for testing and final configuration. More than 9,000 people had registered by January 2024. More than 100 FPV drones assembled through the program were reportedly supplied to Ukrainian military units during its initial months[14].

In November 2023, Victory Drones launched the UAS Engineer: Basic Course, covering the fundamentals of aerodynamics and meteorology, UAS design and maintenance, and the practical use and repair of unmanned systems[15]. More than 30,000 people had registered for the course by January 2024, according to the organizers[11].

Victory Drones has also participated in civilian education in open-source intelligence. In 2024, it helped develop an online OSINT course covering intelligence gathering from publicly available information, geospatial intelligence, cybersecurity, disinformation and information verification[16]. More than 38,000 Ukrainian public servants had completed the course by May 2025[17].

As of February 2026, Victory Drones was implementing the “Sky of Communities” initiative, aimed at training operators of drone interceptors to counter unmanned combat aerial vehicles. It was provided to members of volunteer formations of territorial communities[18][19].

Development of Ukraine's DefTech sector

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In 2024, Victory Drones launched VD Bootcamp, an online program for prospective FPV drone manufacturers. The program covered topics related to establishing and scaling production, including team formation and development, procurement, logistics, and manufacturing processes[20].

In 2024, Victory Drones and the Ukrainian-American accelerator MITS Capital also launched Defense Tech Bootcamp, an educational program for defense-technology startups. Twenty participating teams received US$5,000 grants each[21].

In December 2025, Victory Drones and the Kyiv School of Economics launched Security Tech Leadership, a certification program for professionals working in defense technology, business, government and investment[22].

Cooperation with the government

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Victory Drones has participated in several Ukrainian government initiatives concerning defence education, military training and recruitment.

In 2024, it partnered with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on a program designed to prepare civilians seeking to join the Armed Forces as drone operators. Candidates were selected through Ukrainian army recruitment centers and received technical training from Victory Drones before entering military service[23].

Victory Drones has also been involved in modernizing Ukraine's school-based defense education. In 2023, it worked with the Ministry of Education and Science on a pilot program to train teachers in security technologies. Approximately 1,000 teachers completed the Security TechEd course. In 2024, Victory Drones specialists contributed to the development of the updated Defense of Ukraine curriculum, including its component on unmanned systems. The Ukrainian authorities approved the curriculum in 2024. In 2025, Victory Drones instructors participated in nationwide training for 80 teacher-supervisors supporting implementation of the subject[24][25][26].

Advocacy and policy

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Victory Drones has also been involved in advocacy concerning the regulation of unmanned systems in Ukraine.

In December 2022, Berlinska publicly criticized restrictions affecting the import of drones and their components into Ukraine[27]. Following public debate involving members of the Ukrainian parliament, the Ukrainian government subsequently introduced regulatory changes that simplified the import of certain drones and components, including the removal of some customs requirements and taxes. Forbes Ukraine and Ukraine's State Service of Export Control later described Berlinska's campaign as one of the factors contributing to the deregulation process[28][5].

Community

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Victory Drones has developed a professional community that brings together military personnel, engineers, drone manufacturers, and volunteers. The community facilitates the exchange of technical knowledge and operational experience and hosts lectures involving military personnel, engineers, and manufacturers. According to the initiative, its combined online communities had approximately 35,000 members[3]. To coordinate community members, Victory Drones uses the platforms Discord, Signal, WhatsApp, and the Delta situational awareness system.

Reception

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A NATO Defence Education Enhancement Programme curriculum guide describes the initiative as an example of civil-military cooperation in training personnel to operate unmanned aerial vehicles during the Russo-Ukrainian War[29].

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References

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  1. ↑ "Ukraine's Drone Mother unleashes her deadly weapons into battle". The Times. November 24, 2023.
  2. ↑ Skove, Sam (December 3, 2023). "Deadly but tricky to fly, suicide drones have Ukraine putting thousands of soldiers through pilot training". Defence One.
  3. 1 2 "Victory Drones". Victory Drones. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
  4. ↑ "Від ідеї до реалізації: Історія виникнення проєкту Victory Drones в Україні" [From Idea to Implementation: The Story Behind the Creation of the Victory Drones Project in Ukraine]. Army FM (in Ukrainian). 2 April 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Матір дронів. Марія Берлінська створила найбільшу в Україні екосистему з навчання аеророзвідників. У чому секрет ефективності волонтерки" [“Mother of Drones”: Maria Berlinska Created Ukraine’s Largest Ecosystem for Training Aerial Reconnaissance Operators. What Is Behind the Volunteer’s Effectiveness?]. Forbes Ukraine (in Ukrainian). August 21, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Situational awareness: the role of aerial reconnaissance during the war". Ukraїner. December 28, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Технологічна мілітаризація суспільства. Як ми це зробили?" [Technological Militarization of Society: How Did We Do It?]. Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). December 17, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Застосування технологій в умовах війни". Prometheus (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 18 September 2026.
  9. ↑ "Два роки повномасштабного супротиву". Prometheus (in Ukrainian). February 23, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Курси операторів БпЛА: де цивільних та військових навчають керувати безпілотниками" [UAV Operator Courses: Where Civilians and Military Personnel Are Trained to Operate Drones]. Suspilne (in Ukrainian). April 22, 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Дрони на кухнях? І навіть там" [Drones in Kitchens? Even There.]. Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). January 16, 2024.
  12. ↑ "How Suicide Drones Transformed the Front Lines in Ukraine". The New York Times. December 31, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Краса і бойові дрони. Як EVA залучила 700 тисяч покупців до дієвої підтримки жінок-військових". ЛІГА.net (in Ukrainian). December 4, 2023.
  14. ↑ "«Народний FPV» від Федорова і Берлінської. Проєкт збірки «дронів на кухні» не планує заміняти серійне виробництво, але хоче виховати плеяду нових інженерів. Скільки коштує квиток у цю індустрію" [Fedorov and Berlinska’s “Folks’ FPV”: The Home Assembly of Drones Is Not Intended to Replace Mass Production but Aims to Train a New Generation of Engineers. How Much Does a Ticket to the Industry Cost?]. Forbes Ukraine (in Ukrainian). January 19, 2024.
  15. ↑ "На Prometheus виклали безкоштовний курс підготовки інженерів БПЛА" [A free training course for UAV engineers has been released on Prometheus]. Detector Media (in Ukrainian). November 6, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Розвідка у мережі: онлайн-курс з OSINT створили на платформі Prometheus" [Online Reconnaissance: An OSINT Course Launched on the Prometheus Platform]. ArmyInform (in Ukrainian). October 21, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Відбувся семінар «Практичне застосування інструментів OSINT у професійній діяльності публічних службовців»" [Seminar “Practical Application of OSINT Tools in the Professional Activities of Public Servants” Held]. High School of Public Governance (in Ukrainian). May 9, 2025.
  18. ↑ ""Дроновим терором нас намагаються викурити з нашої землі". Берлінська – про міністра оборони Федорова і фронт у 2026-му" [“They Are Trying to Drive Us from Our Land Through Drone Terror.” Berlinska on Defense Minister Fedorov and the Front in 2026]. Suspilne (in Ukrainian). February 12, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Тренування для захисту неба: як готують тих, хто протидіє ворожим БПЛА" [Training to Defend the Sky: How Those Countering Enemy UAVs Are Trained]. Municipal Guard (in Ukrainian). March 12, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Українці зможуть зареєструватися на безкоштовні курси з виробництва FPV-дронів – умови" [Ukrainians Can Register for Free FPV Drone Manufacturing Courses — Terms and Conditions]. LIGA.net (in Ukrainian). March 12, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Навчально-грантова програма для стартапів оборонного сектору" [Training and Grant Program for Defense Sector Startups]. Diia.Business (in Ukrainian). November 15, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Security Tech Leadership". Victory Drones. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Міноборони у партнерстві з Victory Drones запускає проєкт з рекрутингу операторів БПЛА" [Ministry of Defense Launches UAV Operator Recruitment Project in Partnership with Victory Drones]. Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). June 4, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Навчитися, щоб навчати: розпочалася реєстрація вчителів на курс «Безпекові технології»". Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). August 9, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Що вивчатимуть на оновленому «Захисті України»: розроблено проєкт модельної навчальної програми". Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). July 22, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Завершилося загальнонаціональне навчання супервізорів предмета «Захист України»". Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). June 26, 2025.
  27. ↑ Berlinska, Mariia (December 25, 2022). "Як ми вбиваємо своїх" [How We Kill Our Own]. Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian).
  28. ↑ "50 лідерок України 2023. Марія Берлінська" [50 Women Leaders of Ukraine 2023: Maria Berlinska]. Forbes Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Russian War Against Ukraine: Lessons Learned Curriculum Guide" (PDF). 2023. p. 73.

Category:Volunteering in Ukraine Category:2022 establishments in Ukraine Category:Military education and training in Ukraine Category:Civil–military relations Category:Organizations based in Kyiv

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