Russia plans to require that the flight routes of all civilian drones be transmitted in real time to regulatory authorities through the country’s ERA-GLONASS emergency response system. The Transport Ministry has drafted a corresponding government resolution, Vedomosti reported, citing a copy of the document it obtained.
The ministry says the measure would establish a unified drone identification system, ensuring greater transparency in the use of the technology and helping to ease existing regional restrictions on drone flights.
According to GLONASS, government agencies, emergency services, organizations “carrying out state tasks to protect against the unlawful use of unmanned aerial vehicles,” and educational institutions would be able to access data from the unified identification system free of charge. All other drone owners would pay a fixed fee of 560 rubles ($7) per month.
The Transport Ministry expects the proposed amendments to be adopted by December 1, 2025, and to take effect on March 1, 2026.
Industry representatives interviewed by Vedomosti said that current federal and regional restrictions make the use of civilian drones significantly more difficult. They believe easing these rules and introducing a unified identification system could change that.
All new drones will be required to have trackers compatible with ERA-GLONASS starting March 1, 2025. Beginning March 1, 2026, the requirement will also apply to drones manufactured earlier.