All Civilian Drones in Russia to Transmit Movement Data

Starting March 1, 2026, all civilian drones in Russia will be required to transmit real-time flight data through the ERA-GLONASS system.

Russian media reported on this.

The relevant government draft resolution was prepared by the Russian Ministry of Transport and will soon be available for the public.

In this way, the agency aims to create a unified drone identification system to increase transparency in their use and ease existing regional restrictions. The data will be accessible in real-time to regulatory authorities, law enforcement agencies, and educational institutions.

For commercial operators, the service will be fee-based: 560 rubles per month. According to GLONASS, this system will provide data transmission, IT support, and communication services.

With an average flight time of 60 hours per month, the cost of identification will amount to 9 rubles per hour of flight. The Ministry of Transport expects the amendments to be approved by December 1, 2025.

It is reported that the legal framework for operating the system on the ERA-GLONASS infrastructure was already nearing completion.

The likely reason for tightening drone regulations was the highly successful Ukrainian Operation Spiderweb, which resulted in the destruction of a significant number of Russian strategic aircraft.