AI-Powered Russian Drones Aim to Protect Forests From Wildfire
Wildfires destroy millions of hectares of forest each year, inflicting lasting ecological damage and accelerating carbon emissions. In Russia, firefighters are increasingly supported by advanced drone technologies designed to detect and contain fires before they escalate.
From a Bird’s-Eye View
In 2025, Russia recorded 6,800 forest fires covering 4.3 million hectares. In 2024, 8,900 wildfires burned across 8.3 million hectares. In several regions, the scale of destruction reached catastrophic levels. Geoskan, one of Russia’s leading unmanned aircraft developers, together with the federal agency Avialesookhrana, has begun developing a next-generation forest monitoring system. At the core of the platform is the Geoskan 701 drone, capable of patrolling forested areas for up to 10 consecutive hours.
Engineers are enhancing the system to integrate video surveillance, thermal imaging and onboard artificial intelligence algorithms. The drone will analyze imagery directly on board, in real time, identifying fire outbreaks at the earliest possible stage. Geoskan already deploys aerial solutions that help rapidly determine the coordinates of active fire fronts and smoldering zones.
A National Monitoring Network
The new system will become part of Russia’s emerging nationwide wildfire monitoring framework under the federal project Bespilotnye aviatsionnye sistemy (Unmanned Aerial Systems). Training programs are being created to prepare specialized personnel for drone-based forest monitoring.
With forests covering 48% of its territory, Russia has long sought effective monitoring tools. Fifteen years ago, the remote monitoring and management system Lesookhranitel (Forest Guardian) was introduced for this purpose. Today, the platform объединяет more than 3,300 cameras across over 70 regions. Thanks to its deployment, the number of fires in monitored areas has decreased by at least 20%.
Another system safeguarding forests is Lesnoy dozor (Forest Watch), which can detect even minor ignition points. Forest protection in Russia relies on a multi-layered approach that includes ground patrols, aviation and satellite monitoring. Forestry institutions in nearly every region are equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles, with the national fleet exceeding 2,000 drones.
Around-the-Clock Protection
Geoskan already works in coordination with Lesookhranitel. The Geoskan 801 drone transmits video and thermal imaging data, along with its flight coordinates, to the Lesookhranitel server infrastructure. In 2025, more than 1,000 of these quadcopters were scheduled for delivery to regional forest protection services under the national project BAS (UAS).
In the coming years, smart drones will begin operating in regions most prone to wildfire. Further integration of unmanned aviation with data from Russia’s national satellite constellation could enable the creation of a comprehensive “space – air – ground” monitoring system. The experience of integrating AI and unmanned aerial systems for forest protection may be of interest to countries in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa, where wildfire challenges are similarly severe.
