Aerorozvidka

Aerorozvidka (Ukrainian: Аеророзвідка, "aerial reconnaissance") is a unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces specialising in aerial reconnaissance and drone warfare.[1] It was founded in May 2014 by a team including the Ukrainian battalion commander Natan Chazin.[2] Its founder, Volodymyr Kochetkov-Sukach, was an investment banker who was killed in action in 2015 in Donbas.

Aerorozvidka
Formationfirst established 2014, registered in May 1, 2020 (2020-05-01)
FounderVolodymyr Kochetkov-Sukach
Typenon governmental organization that also volunteers as military unit
Purposeto assist to security and defense forces of Ukraine in the victory over the Russian invaders.
Region served
Ukraine
Commander
Lt Col Yaroslav Honchar
AffiliationsUkrainian Ground Forces
Websiteaerorozvidka.xyz
RemarksAreas of activity - unmanned aerial vehicles, situational awareness, cybersecurity.

The unit’s commander, Lt Col Yaroslav Honchar, is an ex-soldier turned IT marketing consultant. He returned to the army after the first Russian invasion in 2014.[3][4]

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Aerorozvidka has been targeting Russian forces at night, while they are immobile.[1][5]

History

Aerorozvidka might be called a "war startup".[6] It began as a group of volunteer drone and IT enthusiasts, evolving into military unit only later. It was initially a non-governmental organization and still presents itself as such on their official website.[7]

At the time when Ukraine was already receiving military equipment to assist in the Russo-Ukrainian War, Aerorozvidka was still forced to rely on crowdfunding and personal contacts to obtain components for the drones they were building. Sometimes this happened in the face of export controls that prohibit them being sent to Ukraine. The military unit has been started by university-educated Ukrainians who volunteered to use their skills in the resistance against the Russian invasion in Crimea and the Donbas region. The unit was disbanded in 2019 by the then defense minister, but immediately revived in the face of the Russian invasion.

The team initially used commercially available drones, but later developed their own designs.[4]

Russian convoy

A team of Ukrainian special forces, with their drone operators drawn from the Aerorozvidka unit, played a major role in halting the 40 mile Russian convoy, heading to mount attack on Kyiv from the north. The fighters operated on quad bikes, drawing ambushes at nights. The convoy of armoured vehicles and supply trucks was ground to a halt within days. They used drones with thermal imaging cameras and others capable of dropping small 1.5 kg bombs.[4]

References
  1. Parker, Charlie. "Specialist Ukrainian drone unit picks off invading Russian forces as they sleep". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  2. "Ukraine's Drone Warriors". Atlantic Council. 2015-03-10. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  3. "Explained: Who are the elite Ukraine IT forces that stopped the 40-mile Russian convoy heading to Kyiv?". Firstpost. 2022-03-29. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  4. "The drone operators who halted Russian convoy headed for Kyiv". the Guardian. 2022-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  5. "Elite Ukrainian Drone Pilots Are Reportedly Making All the Difference". Futurism. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  6. Ukraine’s Drone Warriors. Patrick Tucker (2015). atlanticcouncil.org
  7. "TMeet the amateur drone pilots defending Ukraine's border with Russia". NewScientist. 2022-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-30.


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