Russia is Training Drone Hobbyists to Fight in Ukraine

It’s not clear how “coordinated work in combat crews” differs from combat. And that blurs the line between civilians and troops and creates a new type of combatant, said Sam Bendett, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and an adviser at the CNA Corporation.

“We have to emphasize that this training effort blurs civilian and military lines. So at some point, this would have to be either folded into the [Ministry of Defense] officially, or be disbanded since it puts civilians in harm's way, even if they volunteer,” Bendett said.

...

Said Bendett: “This type of drone training will continue to grow in importance for both sides as the war continues, since both sides are now using large numbers of DJI and similar drones; and they are now starting to lose their drone operators to adversary counterstrike, adding to the importance of creating a pipeline of trained individuals capable of working in combat.”

Read the full story and more from Defense One.