More than 5,000 UAV Operators Trained for Ukrainian Defense Forces in a Year

More than 5,000 operators of UAVs were trained for the Ukrainian Defense Forces in 2025.

This was reported on the website of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

This figure was achieved through the involvement of private and public instructor schools.

The ministry calls the deployment of a network of certified training centers in Ukraine a key achievement of the past year.

This was made possible by a pilot project to certify schools for unmanned systems operators.

As a result, 8 leading educational organizations received the certified status, and the total number of institutions that received permits to train specialists reached 34, including 19 centers for unmanned aerial vehicles.

Ukrainian drone operators play a key role on the battlefield.

They use drones for aerial reconnaissance, monitoring enemy positions, and detecting the movement of manpower and equipment. The data obtained from the drones is transmitted in real time to commanders and artillery units to adjust fire and plan strikes.

At the same time, the operators of attack drones, in particular FPV drones, directly destroy enemy equipment and manpower by delivering pinpoint strikes at tactical depth.

In addition, drones are used to support infantry during combat operations, as well as to deliver small loads of ammunition, medicine, and communications equipment to dangerous or inaccessible areas.

Ukraine is currently forming divisions and units armed with interceptor drones as part of training centers to shoot down Russian Shahed/Geran-2 strike drones.

According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, interception lines away from major cities are being created as part of a tiered air defense system.

He emphasized that the key task now is to strengthen the interceptor drone sector.