Lukashenko: The Development of Unmanned Systems in Belarus Holds Great Promise

During a visit to an exhibition of the latest Russian drones in Minsk, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stated that the development of unmanned aerial systems in Belarus represents a significant opportunity. This information was reported by BELTA.

Among the participants from the Russian side there were Maksim Oreshkin, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Russia, and Dmitry Peskov, Special Representative of the President of Russia for Digital and Technological Development.

Yuri Kozarenko, Director General of LLC "Transport of the Future" and Chairman of the Competence Center for Unmanned Aerial Systems, provided a detailed report on the potential applications of these systems across various sectors.

The primary proposal from the Russian delegation involves the establishment of a manufacturing plant in Belarus dedicated to unmanned aerial systems, with an annual production capacity of up to 100,000 units. This plan entails the use of a unified technological platform, which would enhance economic efficiency and simplify both production and the development of new models.

According to Yuri Kozarenko, utilizing drones across different domains could yield an additional boost to Belarus's GDP amounting to several billion dollars. "We have digitized the parameters of Belarus, and we understand how many drones are needed and what their impact on GDP will be. We estimate that initially deploying 2,000 agricultural drones could contribute up to $1 billion to GDP. This would increase crop yields, eliminate losses associated with agricultural machinery trampling crops, and save costs on plant protection resources, among other benefits. Moreover, this encompasses the digitization of all fields, leading to smart agriculture," he illustrated as an example.

Similar financial benefits could be realized through the employment of unmanned aerial systems in logistics, various monitoring needs, and even in educational sectors.

"There is a tremendous amount of interest from various countries. Let’s implement these requests together," Kozarenko proposed.

"This is something we will fundamentally study," stated Alexander Lukashenko. "For us, this represents a very significant opportunity."

At the exhibition, the head of state saw various unmanned aerial systems capable of performing a wide range of tasks, including specialized ones. Among the exhibits there was even a drone artist that set a world record by creating a mural covering an area of 300 square meters, making it the largest art object produced by a drone.

In terms of advancing unmanned aerial systems, Lukashenko suggested forming a group of specialists in Belarus and sending them to Russia for further training in cutting-edge areas. "So that you can teach all of our personnel who will be working, as well as interested individuals," he remarked.

The President noted that he plans to test Belarusian specialists in April and May, who have been tasked with developing domestic unmanned systems. Thus, the information provided by the Russians comes at an opportune time. "I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. Now, I know whom to turn to for specialists to assist me in evaluating them," he mentioned. "We produce both aircraft and helicopters for agriculture. They showcased these at the exhibition. We will review all of this. So, be prepared."

In closing, Alexander Lukashenko once again thanked the Russian side for the information provided and expressed a readiness to collaborate on the construction of the factory: "We are prepared to build the factory. We guarantee that what you wouldn't be able to build in Russia we can accomplish here."

"Thank you, and thanks to Vladimir Vladimirovich (President of Russia Vladimir Putin) for sending his aide to showcase everything. We have our capabilities. But I feel we are only at the initial stage. The Russians have made significant advancements in this area," noted the President.

Prior to inspecting the exhibition, Alexander Lukashenko was presented with prospective avenues for cooperation with Russia. This was elaborated upon by Maksim Oreshkin, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Russia. The topics were numerous and extended beyond unmanned systems, including platform economies, data economies, the implementation of digital currencies, auto tourism, enhancing railway connections, the industrial robotics sector, intensive training of engineering personnel, and digitalization in education and healthcare.

"What you said regarding medicine and healthcare is already being effectively implemented. Perhaps it was the enormity of Russia that spurred you on. Here, everything is compact. Everything you mentioned, we achieved within the framework of a single hospital," remarked the head of state. "The connection between doctors at the center and regional centers and hospitals is not an issue; we have that. However, effectively integrating everything, as done in Moscow, is crucial, and we must accomplish this."