A drone-building workshop was held during the European Defense Innovation Forum (EDIF 2026) in The Hague, where participants assembled about 35 drones for the Ukrainian military over two days.
According to Ukrinform's correspondent in The Hague, anyone interested could take part in the workshop. Assembling one basic drone took an average of two to three hours. Specialists then inspected and tested the drones and assisted participants with no prior experience.
"About 35 drones were assembled over two days. People are improving their technical knowledge, learning about the world of drones and understanding how they work. Unfortunately, because of the war, we have to send the drones to Ukraine, where the military need them. The main goal of workshops like these is to engage people in helping Ukraine while giving them an opportunity to gain basic technical knowledge and assemble a drone with their own hands. Participants work with ready-made kits of components that our organization purchases using donations," DroneAid instructor Rostyslav Yosypenko told Ukrinform in an exclusive comment.
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He also noted that Ukrainian veterans take part in these workshops.
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"For them, this is not only an opportunity to help their comrades-in-arms and brigades, but also an important part of rehabilitation – a sense that even after being wounded, they can still be useful," he said.
During the workshop, participants assembled basic drones that military personnel can equip according to their needs once the devices are delivered to Ukraine. They are used for reconnaissance, information gathering and other tasks.
Yosypenko stressed that all the drones assembled are sent to Ukraine for military use rather than being kept for training exercises.
"We work constantly with military engineers and technical specialists. They know the quality of our drones and trust us. We also receive feedback from them, which allows us to make the necessary modifications," Yosypenko said.
According to him, the organizers deliberately choose designs that participants can assemble in about three hours. This makes it possible to involve people with different levels of technical expertise and achieve a practical result.
He added that separate teams are working on more complex technological developments in direct cooperation with the military.
"Our main goal is to help Ukraine. And this kind of volunteer and engineering cooperation really makes a difference," Yosypenko stressed.
Earlier reports said that Ukrainian servicemen undergoing rehabilitation in the Netherlands and volunteers are assembling drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.