Government launches experiment with medical drones in Ukraine
On October 16, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the launch of an experimental project to use drones to transport medical cargo between hospitals. Drones will deliver donor organs, medicines, blood samples, and medical devices, which will reduce transportation time and improve the accessibility of medical care.
This was announced by Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Koretskyi. The decision was also confirmed on the official government website.
The first participant in the project will be the Heart Institute of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The medical institution already has three specialized drones capable of covering distances of up to 700 kilometers.
A distinctive feature of the aircraft is the ability to take off and land vertically on small areas near hospitals. This will allow them to be used without constructing specialized runways.
What cargo will the drones transport
Within the experimental project, drones are planned to be used to deliver donor organs, blood samples for urgent laboratory tests, medicines, and medical devices.
Special attention will be paid to the transportation of organs for transplantation. In such operations, the time between the removal of the donor organ and its transplantation is critical.
According to Minister of Health Viktor Liashko, in the first nine months of 2026, Ukrainian doctors performed 473 organ transplants. Almost one in ten operations was performed on a child.
The use of drones should speed up the delivery of medical cargo, especially from remote areas where road transportation takes a long time.
The government notes that during the war, transporting medical cargo by road is complicated by the condition of roads, traffic restrictions, and other logistical problems.
Flights will be coordinated with the military
To implement the project, the government has provided a separate procedure for organizing drone transportation.
According to Koretskyi, each flight of medical drones must be coordinated with the military. Drones will receive special status and will be identified in airspace.
Rules of action during an air alert have also been determined, including the possibility of landing the drone at a reserve location.
These measures are necessary for the safe use of civilian drones under martial law and the current restrictions on the use of Ukraine's airspace.
Ukraine plans to create a civilian drone management system
The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
According to the Prime Minister, the experiment will become the basis for the creation of a national civilian drone traffic management system — UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management).
This system should ensure flight coordination, drone identification, and the development of unified rules for their safe use.
Minister of Digital Transformation Oksana Ferchuk noted that the project demonstrates the possibilities of using dual-purpose technologies in civilian medicine.
The initiative is implemented within the framework of Ukraine's digital innovation development strategy WINWIN 2030, which envisages the development of autonomous transport and robotics.
So far, this is an experimental project, not a mass introduction of drone medical delivery across the country. The government has not announced specific timelines for the start of regular transportation or the expansion of the program to other hospitals.
Based on materials from: Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Serhiy Koretskyi.