Rostov Oblast Foresters Receive Drones but Face Flight Ban

The delivery of domestically produced drones to Rostov Oblast foresters was delayed due to component shortages, and they now face a flight ban.

Feb 13, 2026

The four drones purchased for the foresters are all manufactured domestically, as shown in this illustrative image.
Source:
Vladislav Lonshakov / E1.RU

For foresters in Rostov Oblast, domestically produced drones were purchased in 2025 so they could learn to operate them and patrol forests from the air. This was stated by Vladimir Astashev, head of the forestry department of the regional Ministry of Natural Resources.

According to him, the purchase was made under the regional project «Stimulating Demand for Domestic Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).» The Ministry of Natural Resources allocated 6 million rubles (approximately $75,000 at current rates) for four «Geoscan 801» drones.

According to open sources, the «Geoscan 801» is a small drone (length 57 centimeters (22 inches), width 62 centimeters (24 inches)) with a takeoff mass of 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) and a payload capacity of 100 grams (0.22 pounds). Maximum flight altitude is 4,000 meters (13,123 feet), maximum speed is 54 kilometers per hour (34 miles per hour), communication range is 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). Maximum flight time with payload is 0.6 hours, maximum flight range with typical payload is 30 kilometers (18.6 miles).

They were purchased without a tender from the State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK). The Ministry of Natural Resources signed the contract in July 2024, paid half the cost, and was supposed to receive the drones by the end of that year. However, this did not happen.

Delivery was postponed to the first quarter of 2025, and the drones arrived in the oblast in March of last year. But the ministry accepted and paid for them only two months later – in May.

“The long delivery and acceptance times were due to problems on the supplier«s side. Specifically, the untimely assembly of UAS due to a shortage of components and the elimination of defects in the supplied UAS,” Astashev said.

After that, nine employees of the department, who monitor forests in four areas of Rostov Oblast, were trained to use drones for patrolling. However, they cannot fly yet. The reason is the restrictions on drone use introduced in Rostov Oblast in the autumn of 2022. This refers to the so-called medium response level, established in a number of Russian regions by presidential decision.

“In connection with this, we have not yet started operating the unmanned systems. They are in storage. We are waiting and ready to start,” Astashev said.

Earlier, 161.RU reported that in Rostov Oblast, it is planned to bring state forest belts into order. There are only three of them in the region, created more than 50 years ago under Stalin«s plan for the transformation of nature.