New profitable business is gaining momentum in occupied Sevastopol, simultaneously with lies of the Russian propaganda about «special military operation» in Ukraine. A number of organizations launched training courses of drone operators.
«Sevastopol State University» proposes to master «the profession of drone operator» for 32,5 thousand Rubles.
Extra-curriculum unit of «Nakhimov School» organized courses for teenagers aged from 8 to 17 years old. Children can master «profession of the future» for 27,5 thousand Rubles during five months.
«The program is tailored to the needs of school pupils who would like to study the use of drones and acquire practical skills to construct, pilot and adjust drones», as promise organizers of courses.
Drone courses for children have been launched by the «Maritime Innovation Center» of the regional office of Russian semi-governmental Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation and Navy (DOSAAF) in Sevastopol. Its project called «Young drone operator» won the grant competition of the Fund of Presidential Grants of the Russian Federation.
The aims of the «educational» project are described on the website of Putin’s Fund in the following way: «The project will create conditions for regular training of drone operators and will increase involvement of youth into scientific studies and technology development».
Students at training courses of drone operators in Sevastopol. Photo: social media
Before the receipt of Putin’s grant, Sevastopol office of DOSAAF has made money on its driving courses, the lease of its premises at General Ostryakov Avenue, 15 and parachute jumps. Moscow authorities allocated almost six million Rubles for «Young drone operator» project (2,5 million Rubles came from the Fund of presidential grants).
There will be three stages of project implementation, starting with the launch of production facilities and ending with the tournament on piloting FPV-drones. It is expected that the project will train over 400 children aged 11-16 years old within five months. After the completion of the course, they will receive the certificate of drone operator. Project geography covers Sevastopol and other Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia (Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk regions).
Natalia Shevchuk, collaborator, the head of Sevastopol office of DOSAAF. Photo: social media
Sevastopol office of DOSAAF, «Maritime Innovation Center» and other two related organizations have been headed by Ukrainian citizen Natalia Dadadzonivna Shevchuk (her registration address: Sevastopol, vul. Bohdana Khmelnytskogo, 8, kv.10). Before the Russian occupation of Crimea, she has been registered as self-employed entrepreneur, with photography as main business activity.
In 2019, Natalia Shevchuk has been appointed as the head of Sevastopol office of DOSAAF. The office provides training of civilians on military professions and their mobilization into the Russian Armed Forces. Now the office is involved into militarization of children and their training for the war against Ukraine.
Students of Sevastopol Maritime College at the courses of «Young drone operator». Photo: social media
Private sports center «Krug» from Khimki, the Russian city near Moscow, opened its office in Sevastopol. In Khimki, it has trained drivers of cargo trucks, vessels and boats. In Sevastopol, it will also train drone operators.
«Krug» proposes three types of courses: drone operator for 30 thousand Rubles and advanced courses of drone operator-analyst and expert on combating drones for 55 thousand Rubles. Graduates will receive governmental certificates «Drone operator». As «Krug» emphasizes, its certificates are «officially recognized» by Russian military conscription offices and Russian Federal Air Transport Agency.
Screenshot of the website of sports center «Krug»
Air Training Center named after Igor Volk, Soviet cosmonaut, located in the Russian city of Kaluga, also opened its office in Sevastopol. It has been founded in 2016. Its main business profile has been about scientific studies and production of drones. Its activity has not been successful until 2022.
Sevastopol office of the Center delivers courses of drone operators for civilians for 35 thousand Rubles. It trains the personnel of the Russian Armed Forces free of charge.
«Air Training Center trains Russian soldiers for drone operators. Over 500 people have completed its courses since February 2022. Its graduates work in the area of special military operation in Ukraine; they identify and destroy positions of the enemy», as reports Russian TV channel NTS.
Sevastopol office of the Center has the same registration address as the office of DOSAAF in the city (General Ostryakov Avenue, 15). But it has not been registered as the legal entity in Crimea. Russian mass media call Denis Zatsarin as its head. But the website of Air Training Center calls him a trainer of the Crimean office.
Denis Zatsarin gave an interview to NTS TV channel and told that course of drone operators lasted one month. The Center trains from 20 to 50 soldiers for drone operators each month.
«They are real fighters. They need training to pilot commercial drones like DJI and Autel and FPV-drones. As we understood, it is new, modern and effective weapon to fight enemies. Our students learn how to assemble, adjust and prepare drones for work, how to pilot them and work with transponders» as told Zatsarin.
Denis Zatsarin, trainer of Sevastopol office of Air Training Center in Kaluga. Photo: screenshot of the video of NTS, Russian TV channel
38 years old Denis Zatsarin is the graduate of «Sevastopol State University». He received his taxpayer’s number 263507973479 in Stavropol. In 2016, he tried to launch business in Sevastopol. It seems that he was unsuccessful as he closed his company specializing on car repairing works. He has been director of LLC «Uran – airspace rocket technologies», registered in Krasnodar, from December 2022 till February 2023.
Russian occupation authorities in Crimea expect that Sevastopol will become one of Russian centers for the development of drones by 2030. Putin ordered to create them in Ryazan, Nizhnii Novgorod, Samara, Sakhalin, Tomsk and Tula oblasts, as well as in Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Up to 500 drone training centers should be opened around Russia.
The cost of Russian program «Strategy of the development of drones» is hundreds of billions of Russian Rubles. Occupied Sevastopol already joined its implementation.
