Russia’s Farmlands Go Airborne: Student-Led Drone Fleet Launches Precision Agriculture Revolution

Russia’s agricultural sector is getting a high-tech upgrade—and it’s flying in on four rotors.

The Ural State Agrarian University has kicked off an ambitious program dubbed “UralAgroDrone”, aimed at digitizing fieldwork using cutting-edge XAG agricultural drones. These UAVs are widely recognized among the best in their class for precision spraying of fertilizers and crop protection chemicals.

The initiative is more than just automation—it’s a training ground. A dedicated student drone squad will be formed to service farms across the Sverdlovsk region, blending education with real-world deployment. Before each flight mission, a mapping drone will create a 3D terrain model of the farmland, enabling precision planning and application.

What makes these drones stand out? Their fine-grained control of chemical dispersion not only reduces labor and resource consumption but also limits environmental impact. Estimates suggest up to 90% water savings and 30% reduction in fertilizer use—a boon for both farmers and sustainability advocates.

Pilots-in-training won’t just be flying drones—they’ll also be analyzing crop data, testing digital farming techniques, and running field experiments alongside university faculty. The project aligns with Russia’s national roadmap for Unmanned Aerial Systems, marking agriculture as a strategic sector for drone deployment at scale.

By putting students at the controls, Russia isn’t just automating its farms—it’s cultivating the next generation ofagrotech innovators, proving that the future of food may very well be airborne.