The results of the XIII Eurasian international forum "Unmanned aviation - 2026" have been summed up 30.04.2026 00:00
On April 23, 2026, the 13th Eurasian International Forum "Unmanned Aviation – 2026" – the largest annual business platform in Eurasia dedicated to civil unmanned aircraft systems – took place in Moscow.
Over 250 delegates participated in the "Unmanned Aviation – 2026" forum, including representatives of the Interstate Aviation Committee, the Eurasian Economic Commission, and national government officials from the EAEU member states, the CIS, Asia, Africa, and South America.
Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Utilities, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Civil Defense, Emergencies, and Disaster Relief, the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia), and other federal government agencies and subordinate organizations participated on the Russian side.
Also participating were JSC GLONASS, ANO FC BAS, NTI Foundation, GTLK, Russian Post, Rosatom State Corporation, Rostec State Corporation, NTC Azimut, Russian Export Center, BAS Consortium, BAS Infrastructure Operator, ZALA AERO, and other market leaders in UAS and component manufacturing, developers of digital UAS solutions, UAS operators, industry and business associations, leading research organizations, and media outlets.
The conference focused on key topics such as international and Eurasian trends in UAS industry development, modern UAS application scenarios, regulatory frameworks, innovations in manufacturing and components, industry staffing, and countering the illegal use of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The forum included a plenary session, a conference entitled "UAS Application Scenarios – 2026," a session on drone ports and UAS ground infrastructure, a session on innovations in UAS production, and a strategic session. An awards ceremony for the winners of the Eurasian Unmanned Aircraft Systems Prize was also held. Throughout the day, an exhibition and presentation of innovative products from UAS industry companies was held.
PLENARY SESSION: INTERNATIONAL AND EURASIAN TRENDS
Anton Koren, Director General of the Transport Strategy Center (TSC), opened the forum and moderated the plenary session. He emphasized the uniqueness of the forum: "The 'Unmanned Aviation – 2026' Forum is a key annual Eurasian international business platform for professional discussions of global trends, innovative solutions, and regulatory and technical issues in the unmanned aircraft systems market." The platform was created not only for the annual exchange of experiences between market leaders but also for the development of practical regulatory solutions."
The forum created new opportunities for international cooperation and identified new global and Eurasian strategic trends that are changing the face of the industry.
A strategic trend and promising growth areas is the development of large-scale cargo and passenger unmanned aerial systems, supported by an administratively conditioned approach and government support.
In his report on improving the economic efficiency of the UAS industry, Anton Koren, Head of the Transport Strategy Center (TSC), emphasized two promising growth areas: "First, passenger unmanned aerial systems. This segment has proven its potential with its implementation and the start of commercial flights. China has demonstrated the high practical export potential of such UAS. It makes sense to build these developments and the market for such UAS in stages: an optionally manned version, a cargo version on the same platforms, special government missions, then limited passenger flights and scaling up." Secondly, large cargo UAS with a payload capacity of 200 to 1,000 kg. These segments, which are still underdeveloped in our country and other leading UAS development countries, are capable of moving from the experimental stage to economically viable mass production."
"It's important not only to develop and manufacture these promising UAS. Those who quickly develop comprehensive solutions, including UAS airspace clearance, digital flight control, identification, and reliable communications, will gain market share sooner," noted Anton Koren.
The global trend is the harmonization of national legislation and the creation of regional coordination mechanisms for integrating drones into a unified airspace.
In his welcoming remarks and report, Oleg Storchevoy, Chairman of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), outlined key decisions in the CIS: "Unmanned aerial systems have become an integral part of our lives. The IAC is actively working to implement ICAO standards and recommended practices.
In February of this year, a coordination commission for remotely piloted aircraft systems was established under the Interstate Aviation Committee. I believe that joint, coordinated work will create an effective regulatory system that will facilitate the growth of the industry and strengthen the positions of our countries in the global market."
The Eurasian trend is the consistent development of unified approaches to regulating unmanned aircraft within the EAEU.
In his welcoming address, Rustan Dzhenalinov, Director of the Department of Transport and Infrastructure of the Eurasian Economic Commission, noted: "We plan to consistently develop unified approaches to regulating the unmanned aviation industry within the Eurasian Economic Union. The Eurasian Economic Commission is developing a recommendation for the EEC Board on developing cooperation between EAEU member states in the field of unmanned aviation."
It was announced that a specialized event will be held at the Commission's venue this year. Rustan Dzhenalinov emphasized: "It is this joint, open dialogue that will allow us to jointly define the contours of the future of unmanned aviation in our Union."
The global trend is the intensification of international cooperation and the exchange of experience between countries leading in the development of unmanned technologies. India is establishing cooperation with the EAEU.
In his welcoming address, His Excellency Mr. Vinay Kumar, Ambassador Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Russian Federation, emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation: "India is actively developing unmanned aircraft systems, investing in research, supporting startups, and creating a regulatory framework for the safe integration of drones into airspace. Sharing best practices with our partners will accelerate technological progress and take technological cooperation to a new level."
Delegates noted that major Indian investors and manufacturers are entering the Russian Federation and already have joint projects in Russia, while Russian companies are investing and developing production in India.
The trend is shifting focus from military development to the real economy of the civilian market and cultivating a qualified customer. Application scenarios are the basis for market development.
Maxim Avdeev, General Director of the Federal Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, presented a strategic vision for the development of the industry in Russia. He noted: "Today, the general approach that unmanned aircraft will come along and do everything is gradually fading in the civilian sector, as everyone is starting to look at actual results and deployment volumes. We have no issues with production—we've learned how to produce drones. The main question is how to integrate these developments into the civilian market economy and find someone who will use them. A qualified customer is one who can answer three questions: why, how, and who. To date, we've already developed 60 application scenarios for the industry. In terms of economics and potential markets, we're doing well. We need to join forces in testing real-world applications."
Eurasian Trends and Promising Solutions in the EAEU – Belarus Leads the Large UAS Market.
In a report by Igor Gladun, Head of Marketing Communications at UVR, a leading Belarusian company producing large unmanned UAS, on the topic of converting heavy manned helicopters into UAS, he outlined the foundations for a new international trend – converting manned helicopters into unmanned versions:
"There's no need to reinvent the wheel: if, for example, the Ka-26 flies perfectly in a manned version, it's better to make it unmanned rather than invent something new."
Or the Mi-2. Why was the Mi-2 chosen for conversion? Because it's one of the most widely used helicopters in the world. Fuel is readily available and inexpensive, and it's all-weather capable, meaning it can fly in both the tropics and the Arctic. We're preserving virtually all of the Mi-2's existing characteristics during the conversion, but we can improve its payload capacity by removing unnecessary features.
Firefighting is included in the design, and we can operate it with standard equipment. Rescue operations are also included, and primarily, cargo transportation, both in the cabin and on an external sling. Customers of the Ka-26 and Mi-2 unmanned aircraft are in China."
Igor Gladun also announced plans to convert the Mi-8 into an unmanned version.
Other speakers in their reports also confirmed this international trend, including citing the example of a project to convert Robinson-66 manned helicopters into UAS.
The trend toward industry consolidation and entry into export markets is the creation of product consortia.
Denis Baryshnikov, CEO of the UAS Consortium, stated: "The unmanned aerial vehicle industry is overheated by funds from the SVO, funds from the national project, and, in some cases, by grandiose promises. We need long-term, stable growth in the civilian market.
We are forming product consortia based on the Federal Center for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (FCUAS) scenarios, creating vertical integration from the customer to the operator and manufacturer.
The core of the export consortium has already been formed. We are conducting research in fifteen countries on four continents."
The global trend is multi-media robotic logistics as a fundamentally new service that is changing the economics of delivery.
Anton Nikiforov, Managing Director of the Consortium for Robotic Aerial Vehicles (CRU), presented practical cases in the field of UAS: "Unmanned vehicles don't replace anything existing—they're something new. It's impossible to openly compare the cost of delivery by drone and courier."
The expert presented cases of possible multi-media logistics in the Far East and concluded: "The key message is that the economy isn't working due to the low density of orders." If we unite all customers—Ozon, Wildberries, Russian Post—and create a consolidated cargo, we will ensure full occupancy and flight frequency, and consequently, the economics of UAS operation."
The global trend is the transition from disparate identification systems to a unified digital platform for real-time traffic management for all types of unmanned vehicles.
Sergey Kukarev, Head of Operations at JSC GLONASS, spoke about the development of a unified identification system: "Unmanned aircraft are not tied to specific takeoff points. The key challenge is real-time operation. The government decree on a unified identification system was issued on February 10, and we have already met with all organizations making decisions on combating the illegal use of UAS. The main goal of the system is not punitive, but to benefit business and society. First, opening the skies. Second, reducing costs: if we see that the user is behaving appropriately, insurance companies will reduce rates. And third, avoid the destruction of legal drones: convey information that there is a legal drone in the sky, do not destroy it."
An important trend is the shift from requirements for clear flight hours to flight cycle assessment and a differentiated approach to training personnel for different types of UAS.
Yevgeniya Chigarkova, Chief of Staff of the Flight Directorate of Unmanned Aircraft Systems LLC, shared her experience training remote pilots: "The set of documents related in one way or another to the operation of air transport is approaching 8,000. Federal Aviation Regulations establish requirements for a remote pilot license, but 50 hours of clear flight time for unmanned aircraft is truly a lot. We would like to consider introducing the concept of "flight cycle" into the terminology. In March of this year, a working group was established under the Council for Professional Qualifications of Air Transport to improve legislation in the field of unmanned aircraft. Logistics has one approach, heavy-duty drones for the agricultural sector have another, and passenger transportation has a third. Working group members are actively working to update the "External Pilot" professional standard, specifically defining the qualification levels.
The trend is toward the formation of public-private development institutions to support startups and further develop projects in the UAS sector.
Nina Yanikina, CEO of the Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies, described the organization's activities: "The Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies is a civil-military private state development institution created with the support of the United Russia party. At the initiative of the Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies, a law was passed eliminating the VAT rate for manufacturers of drones weighing over 150 grams. We are building our own investment resources to support projects until they reach market readiness. By the end of the first quarter of 2026, we have 450 projects under our care. I want to emphasize an important shift: we are not focusing on the number of residents, but on enabling companies to grow commercially—increasing revenue and profitability. We are currently accepting applications for the third stream of the Special Dual-Use Project Accelerator."
The trend is toward comprehensive legislative improvements—from targeted amendments to the creation of a unified law on unmanned systems.
Georgy Bautin, head of the working group on improving legislation and removing administrative barriers to implement the NTI "Aeronet" roadmap, outlined three key steps in his speech: "First, open the skies. According to statistics as of April, only about 30 regions have granted flight easing. Second, integration. Without technological and regulatory integration, the industry will not fully launch into commercial industrial operation. Third, a unified law on unmanned aircraft systems, and given the modernization of the national project, more likely on unmanned autonomous systems, with a separate component related to artificial intelligence."
The global trend is government support for high-tech exports and import substitution using subsidized credit and insurance instruments.
Angelina Yakimenko, Managing Director for Advanced Financial Technologies at JSC Russian Export-Import Bank, Russian Export Center Group, stated: "The high-tech UAS segment is both an import and a major technology export, which we are actively trying to develop at the state level. Our solutions are very strong, but without government support, it is difficult for companies to enter foreign markets. We provide pre-export assistance—we teach them which markets to enter and how to find buyers. Our key product, "Money for Export," is a subsidized loan at a key interest rate of 7.5%, with applications processed within 12 days. We also offer EXIAR insurance products and settlements using digital currencies, which is especially important for dual-use goods without sanctions risks."
The global trend is the transition from automated systems to agent-based UAS with elements of artificial intelligence, which requires a new onboard equipment architecture.
Vladimir Voronov, Head of the Advanced Research Department of the Unmanned Aviation Division at the Ural Works of Civil Aviation (UZGA), presented modern trends in AI implementation: "We now understand autonomy as the ability of a system to generate goal-directed behavior without human intervention, who is only responsible for setting the target. An agent-based UAV is a digital pilot, possessing reflexes and consciousness, capable of developing solutions adapted to the current situation and predicting its development. Aviation companies lack the resources and expertise to independently develop artificial intelligence technologies, but the good news is that these technologies are fundamental in nature, and companies from other industries, such as Sber, VK, and Skoltech, are successfully developing them. Software development for UAVs is a separate business track. Accumulated flight data is a commodity; take care of it."
The Eurasian trend is the formation of an insurance system for UAV manufacturers and operators, with tariffs gradually decreasing as statistics accumulate.
Georgy Khilko, Director of Aviation Risk at ReMind, discussed key trends in the insurance industry: "The structure of UAS insurance is very similar to that of large aircraft: comprehensive insurance and liability. The new regulations include a significant increase in the amount of mandatory liability insurance. Comprehensive insurance rates currently range from 7% to 15% of the agreed value, while liability rates are lower, but the range is even greater due to a lack of experience and statistics. However, there is a positive trend: in the next few years, rates could be halved—to the average level for helicopters—if we have a substantive dialogue on rulemaking and licensing. An insurance broker considers the entire risk chain strategically, without focusing on just one."
The trend toward transforming the personnel training system: from a lack of statistics to a competency matrix and retraining of UAS participants.
Anastasia Artyushina, a federal UAS personnel expert and advisor to the general director on personnel at the ANO "TsBST," presented a forecast of personnel needs: "Currently, there are no statistics on who we are training for the unmanned systems industry. Unfortunately, there are no standards for training additional programs for pilots and technical specialists. There is a significant shortage of aircraft modeling clubs—many highly qualified experts come from these clubs. According to our forecast, based on the Federal Center for UAS scenarios, the most in-demand specialists will be operators (external pilots), maintenance specialists, instructors, and data analysts. A separate area is the retraining of veterans and UAS participants: when they return, we need to quickly utilize their combat experience in the civilian sector."
Many other experts spoke at the forum, discussing over 100 important industry issues related to technology development, regulatory solutions, markets, and the UAS industry as a whole.
The Eurasian Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Award Ceremony was held as part of the 13th Eurasian International Forum "Unmanned Aviation – 2026."
The Eurasian Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Award winners were determined based on an expert evaluation based on a set of objective criteria and qualitative performance indicators for 2025.
The Eurasian Unmanned Aircraft Systems Award was established to reward developers and operators, UAS service providers, as well as suppliers of components and software for the UAS industry and other enterprises in the Eurasian region who have demonstrated the best results in public, scientific, industrial, commercial, or other activities in the field of UAS and innovative developments for the unmanned aviation industry.
The award winners included:
JSC GLONASS, ANO FC BAS, JSC GTLK, JSC UTair-Helicopter Services, the Union of Unmanned Agricultural Aviation, the UAS Consortium, Samara University, and the UAS Infrastructure Operator.
A new conference, "UAS Application Scenarios – 2026," was held as part of the forum.
In the afternoon, the forum continued with the conference "UAS Application Scenarios – 2026," a session on drone ports and ground infrastructure, and a session on key trends and innovations in UAS production. Special presentations focused on the implementation of unmanned technologies in regional economies (using the Sakhalin Region and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra as examples), the use of UAS in logistics (including a presentation on the experience of Russian Post), and the presentation of all leading helicopter developments for solving logistics problems, including helicopter-type UAS developments by the Mil and Kamov National Helicopter Center (Russia) and UVR (Belarus), one of the leading Eurasian developers of unmanned heavy helicopter technology. Application scenarios in the agro-industrial complex, the fuel and energy sector (tightrope-walking drones for power lines, firefighting drones), construction, geological exploration, and new scenarios in meteorology were also presented.
Sessions on innovative UAS developments and technologies were held.
In the afternoon, a strategic session was held to develop proposals for the development of the civilian UAS industry and international cooperation in the Eurasian region.
Forum participants unanimously noted the high level of organization and the relevance of the presentations.
Organizer of the XIII Eurasian International Forum "Unmanned Aviation – 2026": Center for Strategic Research in Civil Aviation (AVIACENTER).
Strategic Partner: Transport Strategy Center (TSC).
General Information Partner: Transport of Russia newspaper, the official publication of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation.
The next XIV Eurasian International Forum "Unmanned Aviation – 2027" will be held on April 23, 2027.
Registration is available at www.aviacenter.events.
AVIACENTER NEWS