Ukraine's Drone Enthusiasts Are Signing Up to Repel Russian Forces

"In better times, Ukrainian drone enthusiasts flew their gadgets into the sky to photograph weddings, fertilize soybean fields or race other drones for fun," writes the Associated Press.

The Ukrainian military posted on their Facebook page last week that they needed you and your drone to help repel the Russian invasion. A retail store that sells consumer drones in the capital has dispersed its entire stock of 300 drones made by Chinese company DJI for charity. Others are trying to get more drones across the border from friends and colleagues in Poland. Unlike the large Turkish-built combat drones that Ukraine has in its arsenal, off-the-shelf consumer drones are not much use as weapons. Civilians have been using aerial cameras to track Russian convoys and then relay the images to Ukrainian troops. Some of the machines have night vision. They can be used to help search-and-rescue operations. Small civilian drones are no match for Russian combat power and will likely become more important in a war.

The Associated Press points out there's now more than 15,000 members in one drone-focused Facebook group "who have been trading tips about how to assist Ukrainian troops." The operations chief for a Kyiv-based drone company tells the Associated Press, "Now in Ukraine no one remains indifferent. Everyone does what they can."