Drones, which during the war became a symbol of technological superiority and an irreplaceable means of fighting, can turn into a shadowy threat to a peaceful society after it is over. The same drones that destroy enemy positions and deliver vital cargo today could potentially fall into the hands of criminals. The ability to kill, carry out terrorist attacks, spy, or transport illegal cargo makes drones not only a tool for progress, but also a problem that needs to be addressed immediately. Ukrainian society must be prepared for the fact that technology that saves lives can become a threat to national security if left without proper control.
The danger of drones in peacetime
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones are becoming more and more popular in modern life, finding applications in many civilian areas: from agriculture and delivery of goods to video shooting and infrastructure monitoring. They also perform vital functions on the battlefield, and have already become a symbol of modern warfare, destroying enemy equipment, adjusting artillery, and delivering ammunition and medical supplies. But the same drones can become a new threat to peaceful life. With access to precision targeting, cameras and the ability to carry cargo, these small technological devices have the potential to become weapons in the hands of criminals.
The world is already facing cases where drones are used for illegal activities. For example, drones have become an effective means of drug delivery in border areas. They silently cross borders without leaving a trace. Cases of interception of contraband drones have already been recorded in many countries, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. What happens to those drones that cannot be detected remains a mystery.
Far more dangerous is that drones can become an ideal tool for terrorist attacks. They can be easily modified by installing explosive devices or other weapons. Remote control allows you to avoid physical contact with the crime scene, which complicates the investigation. The ability to attack mass events, critical infrastructure, or even private individuals creates a new level of threat the world has not yet faced.
Espionage is an equally serious problem. Thanks to their compact size and powerful cameras, drones can penetrate closed objects, monitor political or business figures, and record conversations or capture classified data. This risk is especially relevant for large corporations and governments, because UAVs can remain unnoticed at high altitudes or among other equipment. One of the important problems is that drones flying over residential areas can violate citizens’ right to privacy. In addition, they can pose a danger to aviation.
Now imagine what would happen if uncontrolled drones were used against the law enforcement system. Drones have a unique ability to operate without the physical presence of an operator, which opens new opportunities for their use by criminals after war. These devices can become an effective tool for remote attacks, where the criminal will remain completely safe, being tens or even hundreds of kilometers away from the crime scene.
There is a high probability that they can be used for sabotage, delivering weapons to prisons, or even to organize attacks on law enforcement officers. And all this — with minimal costs and low risk for the criminals themselves. A UAV equipped with explosives can be headed for a crowded place: a stadium, a shopping mall, or a government office.
Even more troubling is the potential of drones for selective killing. Using modern facial or coordinate recognition technologies, the drone can precisely target a specific person. This makes them an ideal tool for organized crime groups or terrorists looking to eliminate their enemies or terrorize society.
Examples of the use of drones by criminals
The number of incidents involving the use of drones is constantly increasing around the world, attracting the attention of politicians and regulators. For example, in Italy, criminals actively use drones to rob trucks. First, the drone is launched into the air to scout the area, tracking the route of the trucks and finding their weak spots. After that, the group of thieves coordinates their actions based on the information received by the drone. This tactic allows you to avoid encounters with the police and minimize risks. This is not an isolated case – over the past few years, the number of such crimes has increased several times.
In Mexico, drones are used by drug cartels to transport drugs across the US border. Recently, the police intercepted drones transporting packages of narcotic substances. Criminals use drones to avoid traditional customs controls by delivering contraband directly to designated points. In some cases, the drones were even equipped with explosives, which the cartels used to attack competitors or police units.
Another case that shook society happened in Japan. In 2015, a drone carrying radioactive sand was landed on the roof of the country’s prime minister’s office. The criminal thus wanted to draw attention to the problems of nuclear security, but this case raised serious concerns about the possibility of using drones for terrorist attacks.
In 2018, London’s Gatwick Airport experienced massive flight delays after a drone appeared several times over the runway. This case became a vivid example of how one small device can paralyze the entire transport system.
In the UK, drones are used to deliver contraband to prisons. Criminals, staying outside the prison complex, operate drones that deliver drugs, phones and even weapons directly into the territory of the prison yards. This creates additional security risks for both staff and inmates.
In Syria, fighters modified ordinary commercial drones to drop grenades on enemy positions. These “toys”, the cost of which did not exceed several hundred dollars, turned into effective weapons capable of causing serious damage. Similar cases were recorded in other conflict zones, where drones were used as cheap and effective “kamikaze”.
In 2018, Venezuela attempted to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro using a drone equipped with an explosive device. The drone exploded in the immediate vicinity of the place where the president was speaking, although he himself was not injured. This incident became the first high-profile case of using drones to organize a political terrorist attack.
Another warning signal sounded in 2021, when a drone attack on the country’s prime minister’s residence was recorded in Iraq. Three drones loaded with explosives attacked the facility, causing significant destruction. Fortunately, casualties were avoided, but it reaffirmed that drones are already being used as a weapon of assassination at the political level.
Another example is a Euro 2016 qualifier in Belgrade, which was halted due to a drone flying an Albanian flag flying over the stadium and causing conflict between fans. In France, drones have been spotted near nuclear power plants, raising concerns about possible security threats. In New York (USA), two men were arrested after their drone almost collided with a police helicopter, creating a dangerous situation in the air.
Ukraine did not remain aloof from this problem either. On the western border, drones are actively used to smuggle cigarettes to neighboring countries. The operator launches a drone loaded with goods that crosses the border without the risk of being spotted by humans. Border guards are increasingly recording such cases, but the fight against this problem is complicated by the technological capabilities of drones and their low visibility in the dark.
All these examples prove that drones can become an ideal tool for criminals due to their mobility, technological capabilities and difficulty in tracking.
It is interesting that science fiction sometimes predicts the future, and films, series or even cartoons sometimes turn out to be predictions of certain events. One such case is the series “Killer Drones” – a comedy with black humor that fascinates the viewer with its dark, but ironic vision of technology. The series tells the story of a conflict between peaceful humanoid drones operating on a distant planet and killer drones designed to destroy them. And if in the series it is only a fiction, then in real life killer drones are no longer fiction. The fact remains: modern technologies almost blur the boundaries between fiction and reality. Commercial drones that can be bought at any store today can already be modified to carry out deadly missions. Unfortunately, these scenarios have been repeatedly confirmed by real cases.
The problem of killer drones was recently voiced by the head of the National Police of Ukraine, Ivan Vyhivskyi, who pointed out that the development of technology has significantly changed the way crimes are committed. In an interview with “Ukrainian News”, he noted that unmanned aerial vehicles can become a tool of crime, particularly murder, stressing the importance of controlling their use. According to him, the police is actively working on the issue of legislative regulation and implementation of drone flight control mechanisms. So the potential for such crimes is real, and law enforcement is aware of the danger.
Legal regulation of the use of drones
With the expansion of the use of UAVs in various spheres of life, the issue of its legal regulation is extremely urgent. How is the use of drones regulated in Ukraine? Who is responsible for him if he causes harm or commits a crime? How to control their flight in the sky, where airplanes, helicopters and private lives of citizens demand security?
One of the important problems is the protection of citizens from the criminal use of drones. In many countries, there are no mechanisms for quickly neutralizing dangerous drones. Police and the military are developing technology to stop drones that break the law, but it’s not yet widely available. It is impossible to bring drones to criminal responsibility. If a drone is caught red-handed, it is unlikely that a trial or sentence awaits him. This is what makes them an attractive vehicle for criminals who use them to deliver illegal cargo. But here’s what’s important: drones can “betray” their owners much more than the criminals themselves expect.
Each drone contains printed circuit boards with memory chips that store the owner’s personal and financial information. Law enforcement officers can gain access to the drone’s controller, and through it to the account that was used to configure the drone. This data often includes the buyer’s credit card number, GPS tracks of all flights, email or even home address. An additional source of information is a smartphone application used to control the drone. This data channel is often not as well protected as criminals would like, and important information can also be obtained through it.
These opportunities are actively used not only by law enforcement officers. Private individuals whose homes are invaded by “unfriendly” drones are also beginning to turn to specialists who can decipher data from drones. Such services are becoming increasingly popular, and technology startups are already emerging that offer them on a commercial basis. For example, the American companies Donan from Kentucky and VTO Labs from Colorado are engaged in the analysis of data from drones. VTO Labs is even training Interpol officers and police in Australia and the Netherlands how to uncover information hidden in drone memories.
Therefore, drones are becoming not only a tool for criminals, but also a source of evidence that can help law enforcement and private individuals confront illegal activities. At the same time, the more technology is used in crimes, the more opportunities open up for their detection.
At the same time, responsibility for the use of drones is a complex topic. In most countries of the world, the owner or operator of the drone is responsible for its use. However, this principle becomes inapplicable if the drone is not registered. In the US, for example, registration is mandatory for all drones that weigh more than 250 grams. But small devices, which can be easily bought on the Internet, often remain outside the legal field. This creates a problem, because such drones can be used for espionage, delivery of illegal goods or even attacks.
In Ukraine, the situation is similar – the legislation on the use of drones is still not fully formed and the mechanism of control over their use remains imperfect. It only adapts to the challenges posed by drones, leaving numerous “grey areas” that create legal uncertainty. Currently, the regulation of the use of drones in our country is based on a number of legal acts, in particular the Air Code, the law “On the State Aviation Service of Ukraine”, the Civil Aircraft Registration Rules and regulations on the use of airspace. At the same time, drones are officially defined as aircraft capable of flying without a pilot on board, with remote control through a special station. Mandatory registration in the Register of Civil Aircraft of Ukraine is provided for such aircraft. However, small drones weighing up to 20 kilograms, which are used exclusively for entertainment or sports purposes, do not require registration, which creates certain simplifications for lovers of this technology.
That is, the problem is that the registration covers only a part of the drones. Small devices that are widely used in everyday life or even in illegal activities are often left out of control. This creates a situation where offenses can go unpunished, as it becomes difficult to identify the owner or operator of the drone.
The issue of military drones is particularly acute. In combat conditions, they are not always subject to strict rules, which can lead to cases of violation of international humanitarian law. For example, in the case of damage to civilian objects or casualties among the civilian population, it becomes difficult to determine the responsible party. In addition, Ukrainian legislation does not yet provide for clear procedures for compensation for damages caused by the actions of drones. This is especially relevant for the territories affected by military actions.
Another problem is judicial practice. In Ukraine, it is just beginning to take shape and mainly concerns violations of airspace or the task of material damage. For example, cases of illegal drone filming of private territory often go unaddressed due to a lack of clear procedures. There is also no experience of dealing with cases related to the use of drones in military conflicts, but against the background of the war with Russia, such cases are expected to become the subject of legal disputes in the coming years.
At the international level, the situation also remains difficult. Although the European Court of Human Rights has already heard cases related to human rights violations during military operations, direct precedents involving drones are so far rare. However, it is clear that with the growing role of drones in conflicts, such cases will become more frequent. For example, a possible violation of the right to life or property as a result of drone attacks could be grounds for lawsuits before international tribunals.
For Ukraine, the solution to the legislative regulation of the use of UAVs, which meets the requirements of the general airspace, is of strategic importance. Although our country has not yet faced most of the above problems, the current situation, in particular the significant interest in these technologies from politicians, businesses and the military, requires close attention from legislators. Legislation should be developed to cover both civilian and military use of drones. This involves the introduction of mandatory registration of all drones, the determination of responsibility for their use, the creation of compensation mechanisms and the integration of international norms into national law. Without clear regulation and technological countermeasures, these small devices may become a major threat to peaceful society in the future.
We live in a world where technology is both exciting for its possibilities and alarming because of its potential threats. Their influence depends solely on whose hands they end up. Therefore, the authorities should now develop effective control and regulation mechanisms so that UAVs do not become weapons in the hands of criminals. This is not only a matter of national security, but also of the protection of every Ukrainian.
Oksana Ishchenko
