Drone technology in the Ukraine has grown exponentially since Russia invaded the country in February 2022, a Ukrainian official told the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s Aerospace Council last week.

Before Russia’s attack, only about a dozen drone companies operated in Ukraine, said Vitalii Tarasiuk, Consul General of Ukraine in Houston.

Now, that number is more than 1,000.

“I see a great potential of Ukraine working with Oklahoma, especially in aerospace,” Tarasiuk said. “Now, obviously for us, the priority is a defense operation out of necessity. But all those technologies developed for the defense sector have an implementation in the civil sector, as well.”

Tarasiuk was the main speaker at the Aerospace Council meeting, which attracted close to 50 people to Tulsa Tech’s Riverside Campus.

Tarasiuk was appointed Consul General of Ukraine in Houston in December 2021.The Houston consular district covers seven U.S. states: Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, Colorado, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

Aerospace Council Chair Bailey Siegfried, of locally based aerospace company NORDAM, facilitated a discussion on opportunities for collaboration between the Tulsa region and Ukrainian aerospace firms.

Drones in Ukraine also are being used for mine detection because 20% of the country is mined, Tarasiuk said.

“It’s an issue Ukraine will be facing for many decades to come after the war is over because Ukraine right now, unfortunately, is one of the most heavily mined countries,” he said.

Oklahoma is ranked first nationally in readiness for the drone industry by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Tulsa, too, is home to the drone company WindShape and the Osage Nation’s Skyway 36, which is an important component in the Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility Corridor project.

“This is an excellent possible partnership between Ukrainian companies and U.S. companies, specifically in Oklahoma,” Tarasiuk said. “In Ukraine, you have a battlefield-tested product. Here, you have the whole ecosystem that can make this product better and be available for a broader audience worldwide.”

The meeting was sponsored by JMark, an IT and cybersecurity services company.

The Aerospace Council meets quarterly at local aerospace employers and educational facilities. For more information about the Aerospace Council, pleasecontact the Chamber's Brien Thorstenberg at 918-560-0231.