Solutions to win: Chernivtsi volunteer collects drones in kitchen to help Ukraine’s armed forces

Violetta Oliynyk, from Chernivtsi, has single-handedly assembled and sent a total of 71 drones to the front lines for the Defense Forces.

According to Rubryka, she posted about this on her Facebook page on April 30.

What is the problem?

Drones have been and continue to be a top priority for military equipment. Ukraine has not yet achieved mass production but is developing rapidly.

It's important to note that increasing the production of domestic attack and reconnaissance UAVs is critical for Ukraine. This is because it's significantly more cost-effective and will eliminate the country's reliance on other manufacturers.

In addition, the Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, recently called on Ukrainians to join the project and assemble FPV drones even at home.

What is the solution?

Violetta Oliynyk taught herself how to construct unmanned bombers and attack helicopters, ordering most of the parts from China. The girl from Chernivtsi has already delivered 70 UAVs to Ukraine's armed forces.

Rubryka reported that a 28-year-old volunteer named Violetta Oliynyk from Chernivtsi has taken on the task of building drones at home that she donates to the military, particularly to her father and brother, who are serving on the front lines to protect their homeland.

How does it work?

Violetta presented the drones from the latest batch, mentioning that she had put them together following the instructions provided by the "Drone in Every Home" initiative. She explained that these UAVs could carry up to 1.5 kilograms and had a range of 17 kilometers.

The woman also sent seven-inch kamikaze drones and one eight-inch bomber to the military. In her comment, she noted that 71 drones for one unit would be enough for only 2-3 days of hostilities, but this is not a reason to stop work.

"Soon, they will work, and I have the next drones in line, both large and small," the girl wrote.

Previously, Violetta mentioned in an interview that she worked as a jewelry artist before the outbreak of war. However, she has been volunteering for the past year and a half. Her tasks include:

• raising funds,
• purchasing supplies for the front,
• and assembling UAVs for the unit where her father and brother are serving.

^{Photo: Facebook / Violetta Oliynyk}

She took a special course to collect drones.

"Making a drone is not difficult. First, you'll need some tools: a soldering iron, double-sided tape, pliers, and solder. Usually, I order all the parts from China. However, in some urgent cases, I can also buy the parts in Ukraine, but it's more costly," she noted.

^{Photo: Facebook / Violetta Oliynyk}

According to Violetta, one drone takes one day to assemble, after which it needs to be adjusted using a special computer program.

A kamikaze drone equipped with a battery costs approximately 17,000 hryvnias, while a drone-bomber costs around 19,000 hryvnias.

Mariia Berlinska, the Air Intelligence Support Center leader, replied to Violetta's post by pointing out that anyone can build a drone to take out enemy equipment. Berlinska stated that "drones in the kitchen" was her original concept, which had been previously criticized on the Internet.

"To date, 25,000 people have registered for our course "People's FPV." Thousands of drones are going to the front, tens of millions of dollars worth of Russian equipment are being destroyed, production is starting up, and society's technological culture is expanding," Berlinska wrote.

For reference:

In October 2023, the Ukrainian Victory Drones project launched a program that allows people without an engineering education to assemble attack drones for the Defense Forces of Ukraine. The project offers courses for civilians, particularly online engineering programs "People's FPV" and "UAV Engineer. Basic Course."