Serhiy Prytula interview 24.06.2024

Serhiy Prytula is the director of the largest volunteer fund in Ukraine. They have funded many initiatives and technologies in Ukraine. Below are some abstracts.

Link to the video:

Full unedited version is here:
https://cryptpad.fr/pad/#/2/pad/edit/ZFNv+YTbg6yVWGnN0hxZEwSZ/

State of drone and EW and anti-EW supplies

Have the needs of the army changed recently? Recently, it's about, let's say, since the beginning of the year. If so, how exactly?

Electronic warfare equipment was one of the top requests. I would even say that this is the most critical need. The supply of drones, for example, has already reached a certain level. Unfortunately, the state has not yet managed to increase the pace as I had hoped at the beginning of the year.

This is despite the fact that I know the volume of FPV contracted at Ukrainian enterprises for state budget funds. But recently I was in one team, and they have a very smart analyst. I asked him to give me the opportunity to get acquainted with certain indicators of the average monthly use of drones and drone losses. And we came up with the data on where they come from. Hundreds of drones arrive every month.

48%, I think, are volunteer organisations. The rest, 52%, is purchased by the brigade itself, and local communities also help, and then the Ministry of Defence. So there is still work to be done. But there is stability. I understand very well the number of drones used by the Ukrainian military along the entire frontline.

Can you say approximately?

I can't give you a number. Perhaps it is a secret. But I know this figure because the technical department of our foundation, which we don't talk about too much in public, this is probably the second interview I've had where I talk about this, they find certain technical solutions to upgrade certain drones. Not FPV, but these workhorses.

Reconnaissance, bombers, art correction. The guys and girls found a certain technical solution there that is now used by all units along the entire front line on the front line. They all have this technical solution, which was provided by the Serhiy Prytula Foundation thanks to the bright minds who sit in the neighbouring office. And the tens of thousands of drones that have received this upgrade thanks to us mean billions and billions of hryvnias in savings. Because over the past six months, these drones have started to fall less.

KABs and long range drones

Is KAB a Russian game changer of war?

Partly yes, because, in fact, they used them to push us out of Avdiivka. Now they are using them very heavily. This is a terrible weapon. Unfortunately, we don't have anything to work against them, so far. That's the way it is for now.

And unfortunately, there is no our equivalent. That is, if we are talking about long-range kamikaze drones that can cover a thousand kilometres or more, and up to two. Because in order to reach it, we have a certain maximum range of strikes of 1,500 kilometres. But this drone never flies in a straight line. It has a Zigzag route prescribed for it, so that it goes around the echelon of the PVO, so it can fly for up to two thousand kilometres. In terms of drones, we are even ahead of the Russians because they have the Iranian Shahed, and they are just making it.

But they do reveal themselves very much in other models. We, on the other hand, have everything you want. Just whatever you want. Watch the operations as they are now are very often, and they have stopped working separately since last year. And one operation can involve the SSO, the GUR, the CSO A SBU at the same time.

And they each have their own zoo of equipment. And it's so cool when at first some planes fly, jamming the radar, creating a window, and then others go in there. So nowadays, an attack by 80-100 drones at the same time is like okay. We actually produce a lot of them. And it's great.

As for the KABs, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. There is a certain technical solution that has now also been thought of here in Ukraine. We are currently testing a new type of weapon. And if they are successful, they will be put on the assembly line. And I'm already looking at it so closely, I would make a mega-fundraiser for it, to be honest.

This is an interesting decision. But I don't want to spoil it, because it's a matter for the military and the manufacturer.