Now the drone operator —an official profession with a code in the National Classification, state tuition vouchers and dozens of certified schools. We figure out what UAV courses for military and civilians are currently available, how much they cost and how they differ.

The profession received official status

The National Classification of Occupations includes the specialties “Remotely Controlled Aircraft Operator” (CP code 8990) and “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Ground Control Operator” (CP code 3144).

Thanks to this, drone pilot training can now be obtained even in the secondary education system: you can enrollto college to become a drone operator right after ninth grade, and the program covers not only piloting, but also electronics and microcontroller programming.

At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted resolutions No. 1047 and No. 1129, which launched the certification of UAV operator schools. To obtain a license, a training center must have at least three unmanned complexes for practice and three certified instructors, and exams are taken with the participation of representatives of the Armed Forces. This allows graduates to immediately receive a military accounting specialty (VOS 216).

Another recent change is the abolition of the mandatory medical flight examination for the external pilot certificate. The initiative has significantly expanded the circle of people who can take drone operator courses.

Who pays for education: vouchers and free courses for the military

The state subsidizes retraining through educational vouchers from the State Employment Service. As of August 2026, the maximum amount is UAH 33,280, which is mostly enough to cover the cost of the course. The right to a voucher is granted to veterans, combatants, internally displaced persons, people with disabilities, and citizens over 45 with at least 15 years of experience. The application can be submitted online, and a contract with the school must be concluded within 120 days.

For active military personnel, the vast majority of certified schools remain free – UAV courses for the military are funded by margins from civilian training and support from charitable foundations.

After training, it is relatively easy to find a job: military units publish vacancies for UAV operators of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on their own and specialized websites. The salary ranges from 20,000 to 190,000 UAH, depending on the brigade and area of ​​work. In some cases, even preliminary training is not required: basic training “from scratch” is included in the contract. A search for the queries “UAV UAV operator vacancies” or “UAV operator vacancies” yields hundreds of active ads.

Four trends shaping course content

In 2026, programs are built around four areas.

Fiber Optic FPV

Due to the saturation of the front with electronic warfare means, drones on fiber optic cables are being massively introduced. They require a different piloting technique: without sharp maneuvers over obstacles and taking into account the physical presence of a coil of wire. Such courses are offered, in particular, by the Boryviter school and Dronarium Academy.

Drone PPO

In response to the massive attacks by Shahed and reconnaissance UAVs, a niche of drone interceptor operators has emerged. Courses focus on high-speed maneuvering and tactics for intercepting aerial targets. For example, Victory Drones’ “Community Sky” initiative trains such specialists for volunteer formations of territorial communities.

Ground and underwater complexes

In 2025–2026, the Ministry of Defense certified the first seven schools for training operators of ground robotic complexes. Among them are SS KODAK TRAINING, the Kruk Center, Boryviter, and the Varan School. Courses for underwater drone operators have also appeared: in particular, at the Typhoon Center.

Engineering training

A UAV operator must be able not only to fly, but also to repair equipment in the field: solder SMD components, configure Betaflight and INAV firmware, configure ExpressLRS and Crossfire protocols. Such programs are offered by the KILLHOUSE school (“FPV Tech”) and BlueBird Tech Academy.

Overview of popular programs

The Kruk Center is distinguished by its “Communications” module lasting up to 15 days – it teaches how to build secure networks, decrypt signals, work with LoRa and Meshtastic protocols, configure radio bridges and Starlink terminals, and conduct radio monitoring.

The Boryviter Military School integrated NATO standards—the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) and the Team Leadership Procedure (TLP). It transformed drone operator courses into training tactical planners working with the Nettle and Delta battlefield management systems.

BlueBird Tech Academy is an example of the “production-education” model: on August 12, 2026, the drone and NRC manufacturer received the UAV Operator School Certificate No. 87/26. Academy programs:

  • Basic DJI course — 4 days (2 theories, 2 practices), groups of 3–6 people.
  • “FPV Pilot” for civilians – a 15-day program, over 1,000 minutes of flight time on a simulator and over 800 minutes of practice at the training ground, groups of up to 12 people.
  • Basic engineering course — 5 days, soldering, reading schematics, assembling an FPV drone.
  • Tactical Medicine — “Stop the Bleed”, “Stop the Bleed Advanced”, Basic Life Support.

After the basic course, graduates can train on proprietary combat systems — fiber-optic drones of the “Zah” series (up to 3 kg of payload for a distance of up to 15 km) and the “Bebradron” UAV for reconnaissance and strike missions at a distance of up to 45 km.

The Varan School teaches how to operate ground-based mining platforms and evacuate the wounded, including tactics for parallel operation of air and ground crews.

Digital learning: Army+ application

A separate direction is distance training. As of August 2026, almost 400 thousand servicemen had used the educational module of the Army+ application.

The most popular course is “Drone Air Defense,” launched in April 2026 by developers from the “Signum” battalion of the 59th separate assault brigade. The six-module program covers reconnaissance of aerial targets, selection of a drone for a task, interception tactics, and camouflage of positions.

The second course, “Electronic Warfare Fundamentals”, created jointly with the Main Directorate of Radio-Electronic and Cyber ​​Warfare of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the NGO “Magura”, teaches how to use electronic warfare means in a way that does not jam your own drones.

Brief summaries

  • Civilian beginners should look for DJI basic courses: they do not require a VLK and are available through an employment service voucher.
  • Those planning to serve will be well-suited to free UAV operator courses for the military at certified schools with subsequent registration of VOS 216, or a direct path through vacancies – UAV operator of the Armed Forces of the Ukraine, UAV operator, where training “from scratch” is included in the contract.
  • Technically savvy people should consider engineering courses (FPV Tech, basic engineering course) – they train specialists in drone repair and modification.
  • For those who want to specialize in countermeasures, there is a course called “Drone Air Defense” at Army+.

The following sources were used in preparing the article: