Drones Need Glonass Link to Fly in Russia
Starting October 1, 2026, civilian drones in Russia must be connected to the 'ERA-Glonass' system to have their flight plans approved, with non-compliant plans being rejected. The requirement follows a mandatory remote identification rule for drones over 250 grams, which took effect March 1, 2026.
Consensus
- Starting October 1, 2026, flight plans for civilian drones in Russia will only be accepted if the drone is connected to the 'ERA-Glonass' system.
- If a drone owner does not have an active personal account in 'ERA-Glonass', their flight plan will be rejected.
- Since March 1, 2026, drones weighing more than 250 grams must be equipped with remote identification technology.
- Remote identification allows real-time tracking of the drone, its owner, and the legality of the flight.
- An adaptation period lasting seven months, coinciding with the current summer flying season, was provided for compliance.
- Over 1,000 users and 1,205 drones are currently connected to the 'ERA-Glonass' system.
- Connected drones are used in agriculture, forestry, infrastructure monitoring, aerological logistics, and aerial photography.
- The system is intended to ensure flight safety and enable broader drone operations in Russian airspace.
Points of divergence
- President Vladimir Putin noted in early September the need to establish standards for cargo transportation using drones, with new standards planned to be tested in a joint Russian-Chinese project involving the Ministry of Transport and 'Glonass'. — vesti
- The head of AO 'Glonass', Alexei Raikovich, said 'Glonass' and 'Avtodor' will use AI to detect road accidents and relay information to emergency services. — vesti
- The system allows setting geozones for drone flights with scalable route options, according to Alexei Raikovich. — fontanka
Coverage (2 sources)
- From October drones will need connection to the "ERA-GLONASS" system — Вести
- Civilian drones will not be allowed in the sky without GLONASS — Фонтанка