Media: Ukrainian prankster disrupts closed Russian drone industry meeting

A Ukrainian prankster reportedly infiltrated a closed online meeting involving Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya), during which officials discussed the country’s drone industry and acknowledged China’s stronger position in the sector.

According to the Russian-language outlet ASTRA, Ukrainian prankster Yevhen Volnov joined the meeting, which focused on the certification and development of unmanned aerial vehicles.

In a recording published by ASTRA, Rosaviatsiya Deputy Head Andrei Potemkin said the agency had received 33 applications for the certification of different types of drones. Seven applications had been withdrawn, eight had resulted in certificates being issued, while 18 remained under consideration.

Potemkin added that Chinese companies had submitted 70 certification applications.

“There is room for improvement,” he said.

During the meeting, Potemkin also discussed a facility in Shenzhen designed for tourist drone flights between Shenzhen and Macau or Hong Kong. He dismissed the facility as “complete nonsense.”

The meeting was subsequently interrupted when Volnov appeared on the call, initially presenting himself as an employee of a company called “Drontech.” He then claimed to be speaking on behalf of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and said that everyone participating in the meeting had been identified.

Following the interruption, officials reportedly began leaving the meeting.

Volnov later claimed that the meeting had been intended to discuss how to present favourable reports to the Kremlin about Russia’s drone industry. He also accused Russian officials of excessive reliance on Chinese components while claiming that Ukrainian-made drones were successfully striking Russian facilities.

By Vugar Khalilov