Ministry of Defence simplifies regulations for using UAVs

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has approved amendments to four key orders on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), removing requirements that are irrelevant during wartime. A number of provisions of these orders shall not be applied during martial law and for three months following its conclusion. 

The regulations for drone flights and maintenance have been simplified. In particular, the flight rules for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operated by Ukraine’s state aviation will not apply to all types and classes of single-use UAS, as well as to Class I UAS in the ‘micro’ (tactical, under 2 kg — e.g., Mavic 3) and ‘mini’ (battlefield tactical, under 15 kg — e.g., DJI Matrice 300) categories. Most types of UAS are no longer subject to mandatory inclusion in the State Register of Civil Aircraft. 

Personnel operating Class I UAVs are no longer required to undergo mandatory flight medical evaluations to determine fitness for flight. Under the updated regulations, permission to operate the UAV is granted by the unit commander through an official order. Medical support regulations for state aviation flights no longer apply to Class I UAS crews.

For more details about the changes, please visit the link.  

“As frontline conditions evolve quickly, we are working to ensure that service members have greater flexibility in employing modern technologies. Regulation should not impose unnecessary burdens or create bureaucratic hurdles,” said Deputy Minister of Defence Valerii Churkin. 

The amendments were prepared by the Office for Support of Changes at the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine in cooperation with the Main Directorate of State Aviation of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the Command of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“These regulations have been updated to reflect the realities of modern warfare. The orders adopted before the full-scale invasion included provisions that could not be met because of the intense combat, numerous UAS types, and swiftly changing operational technologies. Some of these orders not only failed to reflect reality but also posed safety risks. For example, placing operators’ contact details on UAVs was mandatory,” explained Yulia Marushevska, Head of the Office for Support of Changes at the Ministry of Defence. 

It should be noted that the Ministry of Defence implemented these changes in response to requests from service members, who highlighted the need to abolish outdated regulations, particularly through the MoD Deregulation Portal.