Ukraine Launches State-of-the-Art Tech Cluster to Give Its Military an Edge

The government of Ukraine announced a new plan called BRAVE1. The idea is to bring together people from the military, state and private businesses who are working on defense projects. This tech cluster will give Ukraine an advantage in the war against Russia with drones and other technologies.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation, said that a lot of money (100 Million hryvnias = $2.7 million) has been set aside to help Ukraine protect itself from the enemy that is currently very close. The government will fund projects that could aid Ukraine in its conflict against this enemy, which has already gone on for more than a year now.

The Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that there are many young people on the battlefield who need technology to fight in a war against Russia. The defense tech cluster was named after Ukraine’s courage during this battle.

This week, Reznikov met with leaders from other countries to get help for Ukraine army. He said that it is important for Ukraine to be independent in defending itself instead of depending on the help from others. To do this, BRAVE1 can be a good start for Ukraine to reach this goal.

At the presentation, which took place in a car park underground, some of the cool Ukrainian technologies were showcased, like robots that move on their own, machines that can spot landmines and drones that don’t need people to control them.

Ukraine and Russia use flying robots (known as drones) to collect information and also to attack people. Russia has been using exploding drones from Iran, which can reach Ukraine from far away and are causing harm to power plants in Ukraine and fear among people living there. The Ukrainian government asked for help from other countries last year by setting up a special fund-raising campaign – for building an ‘army of drones’ that could possibly protect their country better.

This week, the head of Sevastopol in Crimea said that Russian forces destroyed two Ukrainian sea drones. The Ukrainian government didn’t say that they were behind the attack – just like what happened before when Russia took control of Crimea in 2014.

Oleksandr Kviatkovskyi is a member of a charity organization called Aerorozvidka and he feels that BRAVE1 can help the military make their electronic battle wishes come true. He says one year isn’t enough to create new war-related products, but he’s not sure if the platform will increase the production level of these technology advancements.

The military expert said that the little help which businesses could provide would not be very strong compared to the support given by tanks near Kyiv. This reportedly saved Ukrainian people from being taken over by Russia at the start of a conflict.

Fevzi Ametov, an army veteran and the co-founder of Drone.ua – a drone technology company – mentioned that companies are now working to use soldiers’ feedbacks in their designs.

Ametov, from Ukraine’s military unit, said that it would be difficult to do an attack without drones because it would feel like going blindly into a dangerous area and not knowing what is waiting there. He also noted that technology could help save lives in the battlefield.

To prove his point, Ametov explained that they have been investing more money in military technology as compared to before the invasion of Russia. He added that they always have something new to try out so they can figure out if it’s right for their team or not.

Ametov is from Crimea and he both fights for Ukraine’s army and runs his own company. His company helps to advice the BRAVE1 initiative, and mainly distributes a special anti-drone gun. This amazing gadget uses radio signals and can turn off drones in minutes. The Ukrainian forces use these guns that cost just $12,000 and each battery can last up to 30 minutes! More of them are being used every day.

Ametov said that everyone is trying to use as many drones as possible for protection when staying at a certain position. Fedorov also pointed out that Ukraine and Russia both have similar abilities when it comes to using drones – but if Ukraine’s enemy has more troops and equipment, then Ukraine must try its best to gain technological superiority.

The minister said we can’t defend our country with just physical strength. That’s why we need to make organizations and use everyone’s help – like volunteers, businesses, and responsible citizens – so that together, we can build large projects that will stay the same for many years.

Check out BigBigNews list of stories about the war in Ukraine.