Dorozvidka #15: interview with 3D Tech, Vyriy’s drone school, the RONNI-13 UAV, and the history of Ukrainian defence tech

Co-founder of US defence giant Anduril speaks about Ukraine support, Vyriy launches free FPV drone assembly course, and Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence reviews new tech codification for H1 2025 — all in “Dorozvidka” #15.

Vyriy launches drone school

Vyriy, one of Ukraine’s leading drone manufacturers, has launched its own school to train professionals in the drone industry. The project’s website now features details of the first offline FPV drone assembly course, which will run for five days at Vyriy’s Kyiv base. The school also plans to offer courses on drone production and project management in future.

Defender Media previously reported that the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade had launched a new training course for operators of ground robotic platforms, in cooperation with the military school Borovyter and the Dignitas Foundation.

3D Tech founder Oleksii Zhulynskyi on his combat journey and business

Oleksii Zhulynskyi, founder of 3D Tech — the company behind the “Khizhak REBOFF” fibre-optic drone — was recently featured on the “Tsil 4.5.0” programme by Podrobytsi.

A veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Zhulynskyi volunteered for the Azov Special Operations Forces in March 2022. He was seriously injured by a landmine during combat in the Zaporizhzhia sector. In 2023, following a lengthy rehabilitation, he launched a drone production initiative, which has grown into 3D Tech — now producing both drones and counter-drone solutions.

In an interview with journalist Iryna Baglai, Zhulynskyi shared previously unreleased materials, including footage of the drone manufacturing process and onboard drone camera footage from the battlefield.

The history of military tech in Ukraine

Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi published a feature exploring the difference between “defence tech” and “military tech” — and how these sectors have developed in Ukraine, even before 2014.

The article traces the origins of platforms such as Delta, Kropyva, GIS Arta, Armor, Oreanda-PS, and Virazh, and provides a short history of Ukraine’s oldest drone manufacturers, including Athlon Avia, DeViRo, Skyeton, and Ukrspecsystems.

RONNI-13 and other codification updates

Last week, the Ministry of Defence announced the codification and approval of the RONNI-13 unmanned aerial system for use in Ukraine’s Armed Forces. This fibre-optic drone features a strong yet lightweight frame, high-capacity batteries, and powerful brushless motors that enable it to carry payloads for striking enemy forces and equipment over long distances. It can be equipped with various cameras for day and night operations.

The Ministry also released its codification summary for June: a total of 120 new types of weapons and military equipment (WME) were approved, more than 100 of which are domestically produced. Most of these are UAV systems of various types, engineering equipment, UAV munitions, and ground robotic platforms.

Since the start of the year, over 600 new WME models have been approved for deployment. The Ministry particularly noted progress in fibre-optic drones — over 70 have been codified in the first six months of 2025.

A separate announcement on 7 July highlighted that nearly 30 new models of ground robotic systems and remote-controlled weapon modules were codified in H1 2025 — one-third more than in the same period last year. Deputy Defence Minister Valerii Churkin commented: “We are actively developing robotic platforms and integrating them into our combat formations. These technologies enhance the capabilities of our forces and save lives. Robots are already performing many tasks on the front line.”

“E-baly” now under Digital Ministry, MoD, and Brave1

From 1 July 2025, the functions of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine in managing the “Army of Drones Bonus” project — known as “e-baly” — have been transferred to the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Procurement Agency, and the Brave1 defence cluster.

“E-baly” is an electronic system for tracking service members’ contributions, allocating resources — including drones — where they are most needed on the front.

Anduril co-founder on helping Ukraine

Palmer Luckey, co-founder of American defence company Anduril, posted on X that the company’s weapons systems have helped destroy hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Russian military equipment — and that some of this work in Ukraine was funded directly by Anduril itself.

According to Luckey, Anduril equipment and personnel were in Ukraine just two weeks after the full-scale invasion began.

He also urged the US government to continue its support for Ukraine: “The United States must give Ukraine the tools it needs to win. That is the fastest path to peace.” Anduril Industries develops cutting-edge defence technologies, including autonomous combat systems, robotics, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence-based defence solutions.