"Come Back Alive" joins the creation of the "Yatagan" School for Training External Pilots

The “Come Back Alive” Foundation for Competent Assistance to the Army is joining the creation of the Yatagan School for Training of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Specialists in the Land Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. A joint fundraising campaign with PrivatBank has been announced to raise UAH 33 million for the school. 

The Yatagan school is being formed on the basis of one of the Armed Forces’ training centers. It already has an approved training program, methodological materials developed in cooperation with the Come Back Alive specialists, and professional instructors with combat experience.

The defenders will undergo professional training lasting from 18 to 42 days. They will receive the military profession of external pilot (operator) of unmanned aerial vehicles in the following areas:

• FPV kamikaze and drop-type drones;
• reconnaissance and attack UAVs of the copter type;
• reconnaissance and short-range kamikaze wings.

UAH 33 million will be used by the Foundation to install and equip modular classrooms, flight paths and practice combat scenarios, UAV repair shops, purchase training planes, etc.

“The UAV instructor program has been operating at the Foundation since 2021. Since then, our specialists have trained thousands of aerial reconnaissance men, partly through specially designed online courses. However, it is important for us not just to train people, but to help create the relevant capacities in the army itself,” says Victoria Dvoretska, head of the instructor department of the Come Back Alive Foundation.

“Since the Yatagan School is part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, drone operators will not only acquire skills, but also a profession, a military accounting major. As a result, they will be able to officially hold a position in the unit, effectively apply their skills, undergo advanced training, etc.”

The School will train about a hundred specialists every month, and by the end of the year – three times as many. 

“The Land Forces are the largest part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They need to develop and scale up their capabilities in training qualified specialists who will effectively use drones in the combat zone,” says Major Serhiy Matviychuk, head of the Yatagan UAV School. “We are constantly improving the educational process. We receive up-to-date information from the military and update the program. As new complexes appear, we will expand the base – we are ready for this.”

“Come Back Alive” and the Land Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have signed a partnership and cooperation agreement to implement projects in the field of UAV training. The Foundation’s participation in the creation of the Yatagan School was the first project within this cooperation.

“Today, supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a part of every Ukrainian’s life and an integral part of the social responsibility of every business. For us, supporting this initiative aimed at strengthening the efficiency and capabilities of the army is part of creating opportunities for sustainable development for the country,” added Olesya Zhulynska, Head of Public Relations and Communications at PrivatBank.