Ukrainian drone enthusiasts sign up to repel Russian forces

By MATT O’BRIEN
AP Technology Writer

In better times, Ukrainian drone enthusiasts flew their gadgets into the sky to photograph weddings, fertilize soybean fields or race other drones for fun. Now some are risking their lives by forming a volunteer drone force to help their country repel the Russian invasion. One entrepreneur who runs a retail store selling consumer drones in the capital said its entire stock of some 300 drones has been dispersed for the cause. Unlike the much larger Turkish-built combat drones that Ukraine has in its arsenal, off-the-shelf consumer drones like DJI’s aren’t much use as weapons — but they can be powerful reconnaissance tools.