Russia to monitor every flight of civilian drones through state system Details

The Russian Ministry of Transport has prepared a draft government resolution requiring all civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Russia to transmit flight data in real time through the ERA-GLONASS system starting March 1, 2026.

The document will soon be published for public discussion, Caliber.Az reports, citing Vedomosti.

The ministry aims to create a unified drone identification system to increase transparency in UAV operations and ease existing regional restrictions. Supervisory bodies, the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM), law enforcement agencies, and educational institutions will be able to receive data every second.

For commercial operators, the service will be fee-based, costing 560 roubles per month. A GLONASS representative explained to the publication that this fee covers data transmission, IT support, and communications. With an average monthly flight time of 60 hours, the identification cost would be about 9 roubles ($0.11) per hour of flight.

The Ministry of Transport expects the amendments to be approved by December 1, finalising the legal framework for operating the system on the ERA-GLONASS infrastructure.

Additionally, Kommersant announced that the Ministry of Transport is considering proposals to declassify materials for aerial photography conducted by drones and to simplify procedures for removing secrecy restrictions from the shooting results.

ERA-GLONASS is a Russian emergency response system designed to automatically transmit accident information, including vehicle location, to emergency services in the event of a traffic accident. It utilises the GLONASS satellite navigation system and mobile communication networks to facilitate rapid response and assistance.

By Khagan Isayev