Repair crews from Zaporizhzhyaoblenergo JSC working in frontline areas have begun using UAVs to ensure the safety of power workers during emergency repair operations, the company announced on Friday.
“To minimize the danger to our employees, we have incorporated the ‘reconnaissance’ experience gained by our military using UAVs into our energy operations. For several months now, specialists have been training our ‘repair crews’ to operate drones so they can remotely identify equipment damage while remaining in a safer location,” said Andriy Stasevsky, head of Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo.
According to him, the company’s employees have to work daily in extreme proximity to the front line, and the longer the crews remain there, the higher the risks. At the same time, to repair, for example, an overhead power line, one must first inspect several kilometers of the line to locate the damage, a process that can take hours in conditions where there is nowhere to take cover outside populated areas. Therefore, while inspecting equipment, power workers are highly vulnerable to enemy shelling.
Currently, thanks to Deputy CEO Stanislav Zhadan, the company has managed to bring in leading experts in the field of UAVs for training, synthesize their accumulated experience, and begin applying it to its operations.
“We already have our first ‘graduates’—several repair crews have successfully completed drone pilot training and are already using them during emergency restoration work,” stated the head of Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo.
The process is ongoing in coordination with the military, facilitated by the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration. At the same time, the issue of providing the necessary equipment is being addressed.
