This year, seven vocational schools in Ukraine will start training drone operators.

Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov announced this.

For this purpose, vocational schools will introduce a new curriculum – “Civilian Drone Operator”.

Drone operator training will be available in Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions.

Fedorov added that thanks to the support of the European Union, they have already purchased drones for practical training and trained teachers who would now be able to teach students under this program.

“We are planning to further expand the network of vocational schools and approve an educational standard that will enable full training of students of this profession,” the Minister said.

According to him, it is crucial for Ukrainians to be able to fly a civilian drone.

“These drones are used during the sowing season, in rescue operations, demining, they help assess the damage caused by the fighting, and journalists use them to document the war,” emphasized Fedorov.

In February, the Minister of Digital Transformation announced that Ukraine would purchase civilian drones through the Prozorro electronic government e-procurement system.

The Cabinet of Ministers has supported a resolution concerning foreign suppliers of mass-produced drones, such as Mavic, Autel, and Matrice.

Sellers will receive equal conditions for access to government contracts. According to the decision, there will be competition between sellers, which may reduce the cost of products.

The use of the Prozorro e-procurement system should speed up the procurement process. Given the sensitivity of the information, it will be closed to the general public.