Czech company supplies Ukraine with FPV drones based on intercepted Russian UAVs
A Czech company, in cooperation with volunteers, is supplying Ukraine with fibre-optic FPV drones based on technology taken from intercepted Russian UAVs.
As reported by iDNES, the FPV drone, called Jan Žižka after the Czech military commander, operates via fibre-optic cable, making it immune to electronic warfare, and is three times cheaper than comparable models.
The Czech company Spark developed the drone based on Russian technology. Ukrainian troops passed on an intercepted UAV known as Kniaz Vandal Novgorodskyi, which also operates via fibre-optic cable.
Engineers dismantled the drone and used it as the basis for the Jan Žižka. Almost everything is made in Czechia: a green fibreglass frame, 3D-printed landing legs, batteries and 25km fibre-optic reels.
Thanks to financial support from the initiative Dárek pro Putina ("A Gift for Putin"), the company has begun producing drones on a large scale.
Volunteers recently raised CZK 14 million (about US$682,000) to purchase 500 drones for Ukraine.
Martin Ondráček, co-founder of Dárek pro Putina, said that Ukraine could manage without the help of the Czech government, but that after every statement by senior officials Petr Mačinka, Tomio Okamura or Andrej Babiš, the money in their accounts increases, which they welcomed.
Earlier, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš categorically rejected the possibility of selling Czech L-159 aircraft to Ukraine.
The potential sale of L-159 light attack aircraft has been the subject of political debate in Czechia in recent weeks.
Czech President Petr Pavel, who visited Ukraine this month, said that the possible sale of four L-159 aircraft to Ukraine would not undermine the country's defence capabilities.