The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has begun using unmanned surveillance drones to monitor the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has claimed nearly 4,000 lives, including some 1,000 Ukrainian servicemen.
Two drones have been delivered so far and another two are on their way.
“The idea is a 24/7 operation so there is always one in the air,” said OSCE spokesperson for the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Michael Bociurkiw.
The Ukrainian government and representatives of pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire during talks in Minsk on Sep. 5 but its success has been hampered by reports of continued firing from both sides. As of Oct. 16, some 68 Ukrainian troops have been killed since the ceasefire began.
Most recently rebels took control of Ukrainian checkpoint No. 32 near the village of Smily in Luhansk Oblast where 10 servicemen died during the two weeks siege. After high-level negotiations conducted involving President Petro Poroshenko, some 100 Ukrainian soldiers were allowed to withdraw from their encircled position.
As they prepare to play an active role in monitoring the ceasefire the drones are now making daily flights near the southern Donetsk Oblast city of Mariupol as the operations crew adjusts to the terrain. The devices are expected to be in the air for several hours a day by later in the week according to Bociurkiw.
OSCE demonstrates drones to be used to monitor ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.
“It has a range of about 100 kilometers. If one wanted to, it could go almost up to the Russian border,” he said.
So far the drones have not provided findings regarding the ceasefire.
The observation drones and operations crew are being provided by the Austrian company Schiebel. The firm originally specialized in land mine detection and developed the Camcopter S-100 being used in eastern Ukraine as an aerial land mine detection tool.
The Camcopter S-100 is a 3.5 meter long unarmed mini-helicopter equipped with a camera and radar equipment. The standard model can stay in the air for up to six hours and is able to operate in snow-covered areas at temperatures as low as -40 Celcius, according to Schiebel public relations representative Andrea Blama.
Most recently it has been used by the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea to locate refugee boats crossing from North Africa.
The Camcopter S-100 was chosen after a German offer to supply to supply an unmanned surveillance drone fell through. Concerns were raised about the ability of the Luna drone to function at high altitudes during Ukraine’s winter as it is only able to work at temperatures above -19 Celcius.
Following the revelation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov offered to provide Russian drones and teams to operate and service them during the Asia-Europe Meeting in Milan on Oct. 17.
Rebels have previously threatened to shoot down any drones flying over their territory.
Asked about the S-100’s durability in areas of active fire Blama said they had “no experience” in that type of situation so far.
