Lviv’s Drone Factory and Pilot School End Reliance on China

Drones play an increasingly important role in modern warfare. They are used at all levels – as short-range scouts, long-range reconnaissance tools, bombers, and as kamikaze aircraft. The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) use them extensively and in such large numbers that Russian forces are unable to keep pace with the rates of destruction of its armored vehicles.

The Russians have also learnt the value of drones which they actively deploy to support their offensive operations in the Donbas and other parts of the battlefield.

Most analysts see drones as the future of warfare as the means of destroying manpower and equipment.

Kyiv Post was invited to visit the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, which has become a major center for the development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV / drones) much of it as a result of private initiatives.

Andrii Belchev, an engineer from Kyiv who moved to Lviv more than a year ago. In that time, he has set up a facility where young engineers work to improve drone technology and designs which are assembled in large numbers and supplied to AFU units.

He has been working with drones for a long time. (Click-click photo) Years before Russia’s first 2014 partial invasion, he and his colleagues developed various drone models.

“It was a hobby; it was competitions, exhibitions. Various teams from Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, we brought drones, attached Go-Pros to them, and flew them for fun. When the war started, everyone realized how useful drones could be,” Belchev said.

In Kyiv, the guys are now modifying the same drone to include a Starlink system, meaning it could be controlled from Lviv while operating in the Donbas.

Now he works on both FPV kamikazes and large drones. He says that he and his colleagues are working on new designs that will allow their drones to fly autonomous missions behind enemy lines.

“We started with small drones, then moved on to larger ones. There were drones with GPS, and now we are developing large drones that can carry bigger payloads or act as relays, antennas for other drones. We are also developing ‘mothership’ drones that will carry smaller drones and release them to extend their range,” he said.

One of his projects is a large, aluminum framed drone that will outperform the standard plastic model and can carry more powerful motors.

“This drone is designed for longer distances. It has large propellers, so it flies slower but can hover in the sky for a longer time. In Kyiv, the guys are now modifying the same drone to include a Starlink system, meaning it could be controlled from Lviv while operating in the Donbas. You could put thermal cameras, zoom cameras, anything on it,” Belchev explained.

The Ukrainian army is creating specialist drone units. Recently, unmanned systems operators were officially recognized as a separate branch of the Armed Forces.

He said that, while the engines and control units are still Chinese, Lviv is now producing flight controllers and motor speed regulators, which are entirely Ukrainian.

“I prepared them yesterday, put them on! There's separate firmware, a dedicated program – you configure everything, and it flies perfectly. The price is half that of the Chinese ones. Plus, you don’t have to wait long – two days, and the order is ready. And there's ongoing support. I can call the factory for advice. I just provide the dimensions, and that’s it. Argon welding – and in 2-3 days, the frame is in your hands!”

But what are drones without electronic coordination? Right next door, in another room, engineers produce dozens of antennas a day, hundreds a week. These simple devices relay signals so that drone operators can avoid being targeted by the enemy.

“Everything gets checked here, all the antennas are tested, packed, and shipped to customers. Antennas are consumables. They’re set up in fields and on towers, emitting strong signals that enemy drones try to target. That’s why we need to replace them constantly. Antennas are critical because they relay the signals of drones hiding in trenches, but they are also the first thing to be attacked. That’s why we need dozens every day,” Belchev said.

However, he and his colleagues don't just make drones; they also teach military personnel how to operate them. Training takes place in the Lviv region, where both aerial reconnaissance specialists and bomber operators receive instruction. Here, future pilots start with indoor training, followed by simulators, and finally, field exercises.

The Ukrainian army is creating specialist drone units. Recently, unmanned systems operators were officially recognized as a separate branch of the Armed Forces.

Hundreds of military personnel have already graduated from the “Wings of the Valkyrie” school, says its coordinator, Oleh Shevchuk.

“Our biggest task now is robotic systems. Robot wars. Drone warfare. Due to the initial lack of drones and the difficulty in training pilots, we created a free school for training volunteers. We have courses using simulators, indoor training, and field exercises, followed by combat coordination with the military. Fresh updates come from the front all the time. Fighters return and explain the problems they're facing, such as Russian forces working on specific frequencies. We develop new control and video systems to outsmart their electronic warfare systems,” Shevchuk said.

However, drones for these engineers are not limited to airborne types. They also work on ground-based drones, UGV. One all-terrain vehicle is designed to overcome any obstacles at any angle. The team opted against using robot dogs such those produced by Boston Dynamics, preferring wheeled and tracked ground-based transporters capable of carrying up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of supplies or explosives, Igor Ivanochko a “tank” operator told us.

“Evacuation, mine delivery, water, and ammunition transport – it can handle everything. It can be a mule, a kamikaze – anything. The electronics are simple, just like the batteries and controllers. The motor is from a scooter. We advertise a range of 20 kilometers (12.5 miles), but it can go much farther,” Ivanochko said.

Some of these developments are already in use by the AFU, while others, such as the ground drones, are prototypes still in development. Lviv’s engineers are eager to implement these ideas as alternative ways to strengthen Ukraine’s military and save soldiers' lives.