The Federal Forestry Agency intends to gradually transition from aerial monitoring to the use of unmanned technologies starting in 2026. This was reported to TASS by the head of the agency, Ivan Sovetnikov.
The head of Rosleskhoz explained that the current monitoring of forest areas using airplanes is expensive and requires funding from the federal budget, which limits the capabilities of the forestry sector itself. In this regard, the agency plans to purchase drones and independently patrol the territories, gradually abandoning aviation in the long term.
In remote regions, such as Yakutia and Transbaikalia, it is still impossible to completely abandon airplanes due to the large distances. However, zones with a radius of 50–100 km from fire-chemical stations can already be monitored using drones. Thus, all regions with developed infrastructure — roads and cellular communication — will be able to switch to new technologies.
The key limitation to the introduction of drones is not the technology, but the closed airspace, which requires flight coordination. At the same time, the use of drones will allow for more efficient detection of forest fires, conduct surveys, and save money.