Russia’s Forest Rangers Are Learning to Fly Drones to Protect the Taiga
Digital tools are transforming forest management — from spotting illegal logging to tracking wildfires across millions of acres.
In Russia’s vast Krasnoyarsk region, which contains nearly 20 percent of the country’s forests, local rangers are being trained to use drones and data analytics to protect one of the world’s largest ecosystems. The new training program teaches forestry specialists how to pilot unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and analyze aerial data to detect illegal logging, fires, and other environmental threats more quickly and safely than ever before.
From Rifles to Smart Tablets
Gone are the days when forest rangers had to patrol on foot for days at a time. Modern rangers now rely on digital tablets, analytics systems, and drone fleets that can survey hundreds of hectares in a single flight. The drones capture high-resolution imagery, track vegetation health, and even help estimate populations of plants and animals — effectively turning forestry into a data-driven science.
The federal government is supplying drones under a national program to modernize forest protection, while cameras equipped with artificial intelligence are being installed deep in the woods to provide real-time monitoring.
The shift marks a technological leap for Russia’s forestry service — one that replaces rifles and notebooks with sensors and algorithms, redefining what it means to guard the taiga in the digital age.
