Drones Have Been Used to Commit War Crimes—Now They’re Documenting Them

The U.S. is sending nine Skydio 2+ drones to Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General to collect photos and video of war crimes.

Jack Daleo

Friday, July 28, 2023 at 02:10 PM ET

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The Skydio 2+ drone is equipped with six 4K cameras for 360-degree functionality. [Courtesy: Skydio]

Key Takeaways:

USAID has provided nine Skydio autonomous camera drones to Ukraine's Office of the Prosecutor General to document Russian wartime atrocities and damage to civilian infrastructure.
These drones are equipped with 4K cameras and AI for autonomous flight, intended to gather high-definition photo and video evidence for accountability in war crimes.
The article notes the irony that drones, which have contributed to war crimes in other conflicts, are now being used for documentation, amidst over 115,000 recorded instances of destroyed infrastructure in Ukraine.
This drone provision is part of USAID's broader support to Ukraine, which also includes Starlink terminals, educational resources, and significant funding for agricultural initiatives.

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The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) wants to assist Ukraine in documenting wartime atrocities.

Drones, known to be a major contributor to war crimes themselves, will now be used to gather photo and video evidence of Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. USAID announced the delivery of the nine drones, donated by U.S. manufacturer Skydio, to Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General Thursday.