Donetsk, Dec 18 - DAN. Ukraine’s Zhitomir region instructors will run a training session for unmanned aerial vehicle operators near the contact line in Donbass, Donetsk People’s Republic People’s Militia spokesman Daniil Bezsonov said on Tuesday citing intelligence reports.
“According to our information, Zhitomir region’s 190th Training Centre instructors plan to gather UAV operators for training in the Dzerzhinsk area on December 20-21. The session will be held for Leleka-100 reconnaissance UAV and attack drone operators,” Bezsonov said.
The Donetsk People’s Republic might be used as a test field. “Our air defence units are ready for this scenario to cut down the UAV fleet,” he said.
Earlier reports said that the DPR had published the photos of Ukrainian attack drone operators whose units had wounded a Donetsk civilian.
Employing combat aviation and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in 30km-wide zone along the line of contact is banned under Article 7 of Minsk Memorandum dated September 19, 2014, with the exception to OSCE SMM UAVs. Contrary to the agreement, Ukrainian forces regularly use UAVs for aerial reconnaissance and fire adjustment. Recently, Kiev has been increasingly using attack drones.*jk