A British man who runs Ukraine’s largest volunteer drone factory has urged the UK Government to help fund the weapons which have destroyed dozens of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles.
Richard Woodruff says his kamikaze drones have wiped out more than $100m (£79m) worth of Russian equipment in the last year.
The seven to 10-inch first person view (FPV) drones armed with a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) warhead have reportedly halted columns of Moscow’s tanks and armour and taken out a $25m (£20m) air defence system.
Over the weekend, the 31-year-old from East Sussex met with cross-party MPs who travelled to Lviv and urged them to lobby for backing from the UK Government to boost their drone production by 1,000 a month.
“We have this British volunteer-run drone factory, and we could easily be producing 1,000 more drones per month,” Mr Woodruff told The i Paper as air raid sirens rang out.
“And at an incredibly low cost. It’s £250 for a drone that can take out a $2m tank.
“If the British Government needs to know how to support Ukraine, this is the most effective way, the most efficient way.
“It takes two or three of them to stop a tank. That’s 300 tanks you could possibly stop with just those drones.
“So the ability to stop more tanks than probably Britain has for £250,000.
“One of our drones is £250 and took out a $25m air defence system. It hit the radar and made it completely inoperable because radar systems are very complex, and they don’t like RPGs exploding on them, believe it or not.”
Drones are now inflicting around two-thirds of Russian losses, making them the most lethal weapon in Ukraine’s armoury.
Footage shared with The i Paper showed the drones attacking Russian tanks and armoured vehicles during Ukraine’s recent incursion into Kursk.
An air defence system’s radar in the Kharkiv region was also obliterated by one seven-inch drone carrying an RPG payload.
The drones were the first to strike into Russian territory after they took out armoured vehicles, tanks and supply networks in Belgorod, Mr Woodruff said.
Video footage has confirmed the drones have wiped out 21 tanks, 34 BMP armoured troop carriers, 11 trucks, five artillery weapons and one Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, Mr Woodruff said, adding the true figure is likely to be at least double.
His organisation, Front Line Kit, supplies the Ukrainian army’s Achilles drone battalion, part of the 429th regiment of unmanned systems and the second deadliest drone battalion on the front line.
The MPs he met have said they will tell Defence Secretary John Healey to make it clear Government support is needed.
“They [the MPs] can make a difference. If they do go back to Parliament and they do convince them to supply us with the parts or £250,000 a month, that is thousands of Ukrainian lives saved,” he saved.
“Everything that the Russians have, 75 per cent is destroyed by FPV drones. You can’t go outside without getting hit by one.
“They can only move around at night for that reason, unless they have a death wish.
“Because of our drones, it stops these armoured columns getting to our guys. It’s a defensive technology, because it stops all of these armored columns over running our positions.”
Mr Woodruff travelled to Lviv in June 2022, just months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
He decided to come after being appalled by Russian atrocities in Bucha where war crimes were allegedly carried out by Vladimir Putin’s invading forces, and decided to volunteer, initially delivering humanitarian aid to the front line.
Towards the end of 2023, a Ukrainian friend approached him and asked if he wanted to start helping build drones.
After a few months honing their skills, they are now able to teach new operatives how to build a drone in around a week.
Their organisation, Angel of Life, also delivers humanitarian aid and procures vehicles, medical supplies and military equipment for the front line.
The factory relies on crowdfunding, but a lack of donations means they are currently having to turn away volunteers who want to help build the drones.
Currently, around 350 a month are being constructed, down from a monthly high of 900, but with support from Whitehall Mr Woodruff believes they could make 1,000 more, with one drone taking an hour to put together.
“It’s depressing, because I have 10 British people waiting in my inbox saying, Please, can I come help you build? But we just don’t have the parts,” Mr Woodruff added.
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