In January and February 2026, the Ministry of Defense contracted a record number of Mavic, Autel, Matrice, and other drones for the Defense Forces. As a result, the military should receive at least twice as many such drones as during the same period last year.
In January and February 2026, the Ministry of Defense contracted a record number of Mavic, Autel, Matrice, and other drones for the Defense Forces. As a result, the military should receive at least twice as many such drones as during the same period last year.
As reported by Mikhail Fedorov, the purchases were carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Defense through the Defense Procurement Agency. These are helicopters that units use in the tactical depth of the front for daily combat missions.
The military needs such drones not only for reconnaissance. They are used to adjust fire at a depth of up to 5 km, drop on infantry, mine roads and increase the accuracy of FPV drones. That is why the growth of purchases in this segment is directly related to the demand of combat units that regularly lose copters during missions and need quick replenishment.
Separately, Fedorov noted that in February, deliveries of such drones increased by 17% compared to January. This was achieved thanks to the prompt conduct of tenders and the conclusion of contracts for the required volumes. At the same time, one of the key tasks remains the rapid and accurate distribution of equipment between units so that it reaches primarily where it is needed most.
In parallel, the Ministry of Defense is working on alternatives to the Mavic using AI. According to the minister, such solutions are already being tested and in the near future they are planned to be scaled up on the front. In addition, in 2026, the department is increasing the procurement of other key categories of drones and weapons: interceptors, FPV, fiber-optic drones, reconnaissance wings and strike systems for operating at operational depth.
As drones play a growing role in warfare, drones like the Mavic, Autel, and Matrice remain one of the most widely deployed tactical tools. They allow units to see the battlefield in real time, target targets more accurately, and respond more quickly to changing situations, but due to their heavy use, they require constant replenishment.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how Ukrainian UAV manufacturer Vyriy Industries is developing an analogue of the Chinese DJI Mavic copter with a much longer flight duration.
