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Thousands of Civilians Enlist in Ukraine’s Drone Units via Diia App

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Thousands of Civilians Enlist in Ukraine’s Drone Units via Diia App
A Ukrainian soldier performs a trial with an FPV drone in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on March 19, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)

Over the past two months, more than 2,200 Ukrainians have applied via the Diia  app to join drone warfare units such as K-2, Achilles, Rarog, Phoenix, and Magyar’s Birds. This was reported on Diia’s website on May 12.

These units operate under the Drone Line initiative, a program launched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that brings together infantry and UAVs into a single strike force, scaling up Ukraine’s most effective battlefield innovations. To streamline recruitment, a dedicated service was integrated directly into the Diia app.

According to Diia, the service is designed for civilians who want to join the fight using cutting-edge technology, without excessive bureaucracy.

The initiative brings together FPV drone pilots, copter operators, bomber crews, fixed-wing specialists, IT experts, engineers, and cryptographers.

The service is available to candidates not currently serving in the military. The applicant can simply select a specialty, fill out a short application, and join the desired unit.

Available roles include FPV operators, Mavic/Autel drone pilots, UAV technicians, munition handlers, ground robotic system operators, drone assembly specialists, and more.

At the end of April, Ukraine’s defense initiative Brave1, launched the country’s first large-scale military technology marketplace, aiming to centralize access to advanced products for soldiers and accelerate the adoption of critical battlefield innovations.

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​Diia, which stands for “Держава і я” (“State and I” in Ukrainian), is a comprehensive digital platform developed by Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation. Launched in 2020, it aims to streamline interactions between the government and citizens by providing access to a wide range of public services through mobile and web applications.