Drones in Russia Spot Abandoned and Overgrown Farmland
The main goal of drone-based monitoring is to prevent emergencies.
Russia is continuing to integrate unmanned aerial systems into its agricultural sector to protect farmland. In 2025, Rosselkhoznadzor’s regional office in the Orenburg region identified more than 5,000 hectares of overgrown land using drones. Surveys were carried out across several municipalities, covering a total area of 8,000 hectares.
Preventing Emergencies
The primary objective of drone-based monitoring is the prevention of emergencies, as dry grass poses a serious fire risk. The advantage of using drones for this task lies in their ability to cover large and hard-to-reach areas. Performing such inspections manually would require significantly more time and resources.
Following aerial inspections, nine agricultural enterprises received official warnings. In some cases, authorities also identified land being used for purposes other than those officially designated.
Detecting Fires by Faint Smoke
For Russia, with its vast agricultural territories, this approach is becoming strategically important. Landowners and tenants are required to combat waterlogging, pollution, and overgrowth, while drones monitor how these obligations are being met. Such digital oversight tools are relevant not only for Russia but for countries worldwide.
Earlier reports noted that Russian developers have created an artificial intelligence-based system capable of detecting fires at a very early stage by identifying faint smoke. The system can be installed on standard drones equipped with conventional video cameras and used for rapid surveys of large areas. A working prototype has already completed bench testing. The next stage will involve field trials on an operational drone. In 2026, developers plan to present a demonstration model and offer it for testing to emergency services and commercial operators.
