Drones News 29 May 2025 - 15 June 2025

The UK drone regime uses three operation categories—Open, Specific, and Certified—with Open further divided into A1, A2, and A3. Open A1 applies to drones under 250g and allows flight over people in built‑up areas but not over crowds. Open A2 covers drones up to 2 kg and requires an A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) to fly closer to uninvolved people. Open A3 covers larger drones up to 25 kg or any drone without further qualifications, and must be flown well away from people and built‑up areas (minimum 50 m from people and 150 m from built‑up areas). Specific category

Countries and Companies Supplying Drones to Ukraine Types and Models of Drones Used by Ukraine (by Function) Ukraine employs a vast array of drones, both military-grade and civilian, serving different functions on and off the battlefield. Below are the major categories of drone types and notable models in each category: Ukrainian Drone Manufacturers and Domestic Capabilities Prior to 2022, Ukraine had only a handful of drone makers and mostly imported its UAVs. The war, however, spurred an explosive growth in domestic drone manufacturing, transforming Ukraine into a drone technology hub. By 2025 there were roughly 500 Ukrainian companies producing drones

In February 2023 Parliament exempted UAVs from import duty and VAT, with the exemption extended through 2025 and renewed to cover defense goods until at least January 1, 2026; by early 2025, 98% of drones imported entered duty-free. A late-2022 Cabinet resolution allowed drones to clear customs with simplified procedures and no required bonds, and August 2023 saw removal of some documentation and certificates for civil or dual-use drones to speed imports. Exemption generally requires military or humanitarian use; volunteers, charities, or units can import drones tax-free if destined for the war effort. Ukraine maintains both official government import channels