Saskatoon-based company Draganfly is donating drones to a non-profit that helps wounded soldiers and civilians in Ukraine.
Before the Russian-Ukrainian war began, Revived Soldiers Ukraine (RSU) would bring Ukrainian wounded soldiers to the U.S. for medical care and cover medical bills. RSU has operated for six and a half years, with bases in Florida and Nevada.
It also has a rehabilitation centre in Ukraine called Next Step Ukraine, but the centre was recently destroyed by Russians.
“When the war started, we would start to help medical facilities, the hospitals and also purchase ambulances and tried to help evacuate people,” said RSU chief Iryna Discipio.
One of the drones donated by Draganfly will deliver medical supplies to Russian occupied territories in Ukraine, such as the destroyed city of Mariupol. The drone can fly for 40 minutes before being recharged.
“[Russians] wouldn’t let civilians come out of the city and a lot of civilians got trapped in the basement of the buildings and the hospitals basements. So we would like to see if we can use those drones to deliver much needed medical aid to those locations,” said Discipio.
The other two drones will be used for rescue purposes.
“So we would try to find people who were trapped in places and try to evacuate them.”
In 2013, Draganfly was credited with having the first drone to save a human life. Today that drone sits on permanent display in the Smithsonian Museum. (Draganfly)
Discipio said Russians are shooting Ukrainians who try to escape Mariupol. She said the three drones will be delivered to Ukraine within the next week and a half, and personnel with drone experience will be trained to use them.
Discipio said insulin, antibiotics and painkillers are most needed, especially by hospitals conducting surgeries.
“The people who are getting shot … it’s not just bullet wounds, it’s also shrapnel. So people would get infected. And it’s really, really hard to deal with infection unless we have antibiotics. So those necessary things are really needed right now.”
Discipio was recently awarded the Order of Princess Olga by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for her work with helping wounded soldiers. She is originally from Irpin, Ukraine, which she said is currently occupied by Russians.
“That’s devastating. It’s so sad to see my city been destroyed. The Russians kept shooting every day and bombing houses, buildings, hospitals. Not even governmental, but civilian structures. Businesses, shopping centres, everything.”
Why Draganfly is helping
Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly, said the company is very happy to help RSU’s efforts in Ukraine.
Draganfly headquarters are in Saskatoon and the company also has operations in Florida, L.A., Vancouver and Las Vegas. It is the oldest commercial drone manufacturer in the world.
“We’ve been very focused in the public service and public safety area almost from the very beginning,” said Chell.
In 2013, Dragonfly was credited with having the first drone to save a human life. Today that drone sits on permanent display in the Smithsonian Museum.
“We’ve sold over 9,000 drone units to hundreds of different agencies in Canada, the United States, U.K., Australia, sheriff’s departments, Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals, search and rescue operations and such,” Chell said.
“And we do a lot of highly specialized AI work around the sensors so that we can pick up certain types of data. Our cameras can actually read vital signs. So our drones can determine the survivors on the ground’s heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, respiratory rates, temperatures, are they alive or they conscious?”
Draganfly headquarters are in Saskatoon, and the company also has operations in Florida, L.A., Vancouver and Las Vegas. It is the oldest commercial drone manufacturer in the world. (Draganfly)
The Draganfly drones being donated to RSU can deliver up to 35 pounds of of temperature-sensitive equipment such as medicines.
RSU has purchased an additional 10 drones, which are being manufactured now. Chell said they’re being highly discounted.
“We want to get them into the right spot at the right time,” he said.
“Now we’ve had even other outside organizations call up and say, how do we buy drones and get them to RSU? Then they’ve got this medical relief drone or search and rescue drone that’s immediately making an impact. I mean, next week, it’s saving lives.”
The impact
Chell said Draganfly doesn’t care how much money they lose by donating and discounting drones, as long as Ukrainians are getting the help they desperately need.
“It’s so impactful to us as a company and to our people. I mean, it’s almost hard to talk about cause you know it’s going to work right away then. And, you know, people’s lives are going to be affected right away. So it’s incredible,” said Chell.
So, what if the drones get shot down by Russian forces?
“Who cares? Send 10 more. Send 100 at a time. The cost of these things are so inconsequential, obviously, to the life it saves. The return on compassion is just so incredible that, you know, the impact will be there. We think it’s going to change the theatre of humanitarian aid for coming conflicts or, in fact, coming natural disasters.”