Ukraine presents ST1 mine-clearing drone that works 4 times faster than a human

Mykhailo Fedoriv, Vice Prime Minister and Head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, posted a photo of the ST1 reconnaissance drone on his Facebook page. This is a new development of Brave1, a cluster of state support for developments in the field of Defence Tech, which provides start-ups and developers with financial, informational or organisational support.

According to the minister, Ukraine is already testing an autonomous ST1 mine detection drone designed to operate in difficult field conditions. The drone is equipped with an inductor coil, sensors for flying around obstacles at low altitude, and a microcomputer that remotely transmits data to sappers in real time. According to Fedoriv, the ST1 drone is capable of performing work 4 times faster than a human, significantly increasing the pace of demining and ensuring greater safety for deminers.

Thanks to the ST1 deminer, sappers from the SES, the Armed Forces and the National Police will be able to control the drone, find and defuse mines from a safe place. "The team is collecting feedback, working on improvements and preparing to scale up production," the minister said.

Mine clearance map of Ukraine

According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU), its employees have already defused 447,841 explosive ordnance and surveyed more than 100,000 hectares in Ukraine. On average, the SES clears 350 hectares of mines and defuses 320 explosive devices per day, making 140 visits. The largest number of ERWs were defused in Kharkiv (81,490), Kyiv (80,045), Chernihiv (52,289) and Donetsk (47,225) regions. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA), Ukraine is one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world.

About Brave1

Brave1 is a cluster for the development of defence technologies in Ukraine, founded by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Defence, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Security and Defence Council, the Ministry of Strategic Industries, and the Ministry of Economy. The cluster was created to promote the development of defence technologies in Ukraine and to engage the private sector in this process. Brave1 offers a wide range of services for Ukrainian start-ups and companies working in the defence technology sector:

• Grants for the development of new technologies
• Assistance in finding partners and investors
• Regulatory and certification advice
• Military expertise
• Presentations of developments to military customers
• Participation in hackathons to solve military problems
• Conducting demonstrations of developments at the test site and testing them in the military
• Approval for operation, acceptance into service