Lukashenko on the development of unmanned systems in Belarus: this is a very big prospect for us
March 7, 2025
The development of unmanned aviation systems in Belarus holds great promise. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stated this during his visit to an exhibition of the latest Russian drones in Minsk, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
From unmanned systems to a platform economy. Lukashenko was presented with promising areas of cooperation with Russia.
The main proposal from the Russian side is the establishment of a plant in Belarus for the production of unmanned aviation systems with a capacity of up to 100,000 units annually. This involves the use of a unified technological platform, which will ensure economic efficiency and simplify the production and development of new models.
According to Yuri Kozarenko, the use of drones in various fields will allow for an additional GDP increase of several billion dollars. "We have digitized Belarus's parameters, we understand how many drones are needed and what the impact on GDP will be. We are saying that in the first stage, 2,000 agricultural drones will contribute up to $1 billion to GDP. This includes increased yields, savings – no losses from trampling crops with agricultural machinery, savings on plant protection products, and much more. And this is the digitization of all fields. This is smart agriculture," he cited as an example.
Russia proposes building a drone production plant in Belarus
A similar financial effect can be achieved through the use of unmanned aviation systems in logistics, for monitoring needs in various sectors, and even in education.
"A huge number of requests from various countries. Let's implement these requests together," proposed Yuri Kozarenko.
"We will study this fundamentally," stated Alexander Lukashenko. "This is a very big prospect for us."
At the exhibition, the head of state was demonstrated various unmanned aerial systems capable of performing a whole range of tasks, including special ones. Among the exhibits was even an artist drone, with the help of which a world record was set – a mural was painted with dimensions of 300 sq.m. This is the largest art object created by a drone.
In the matter of developing unmanned aerial systems, Alexander Lukashenko proposed forming a group of specialists in Belarus and sending them to Russia for additional training in the most advanced areas. "So that you teach all our people who will be working, and those who wish to," he said.
The President noted that in April-May he plans to examine Belarusian specialists who were given assignments for the development of domestic unmanned systems. Therefore, the information voiced by the Russians is very timely. "It's good that you told me about this. Now I know who to get specialists from so that you can help me examine them," said the head of state. "We are producing both airplanes and helicopters for agriculture. They showed them at the exhibition. We will look at all of this. So, get ready."
In conclusion, Alexander Lukashenko once again thanked the Russian side for the information provided and declared readiness to cooperate in the construction of a plant: "We are ready to build a plant. We guarantee: you won't build it in Russia the way we will here."
"Thank you, thank you to Vladimir Vladimirovich (President of Russia Vladimir Putin. - Ed. BELTA) for sending his assistant and showing all this. We know how to do some things. But I have a feeling that we are only at the first stage. Russians have made very serious progress in this direction," noted the President.
In the autumn, a championship for unmanned systems will be held in Russia. A team from Belarus has also been invited. "Give us the program so we can prepare. We can train people," replied Alexander Lukashenko.Immediately before the exhibition tour, Alexander Lukashenko was presented with promising areas of cooperation with Russia. This was described in detail by Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Russia. There are many areas, and they concern not only drones. It also concerns the platform economy and data economy, the introduction of digital currencies, auto-tourism, the development of railway transport, the sphere of industrial robots, in-depth training of engineering personnel, and the digitalization of education and healthcare.
"What you said about medicine, about healthcare, is already being implemented. Perhaps you were spurred on by the fact that Russia is huge. Everything is compact here. Everything you said, we have achieved within a single hospital," the head of state noted. "The connection of doctors - the center and regional centers, the hospital - is not a problem, we have it. But to link all this together, as it is done in Moscow, is very important, and we need to do it."
belta.by