Ukrainian company Vyriy Drone is working on creating its own analogue of the DJI Mavic 3 drone. The project is being implemented against the backdrop of a global shortage and the cessation of production of these Chinese UAVs. This is stated in an article by Defence.
According to Vyriy Drone director Oleksiy Babenko, developing an analogue of the Chinese drone is very difficult.
Among the disadvantages of the Ukrainian analogue is a slightly more complex control system, so the learning process will take longer. In addition, another disadvantage of the drone is its price: the first version will cost around $2,000, the second around $3,500.
"And the last minus - well, it won't be possible to order it in thousands from the first month. Because increasing the scale of production will take about 2-3 months," said the director of the Ukrainian company.
However, the company also includes certain advantages in its development compared to the Mavic 3. These include a flight time that should be four times longer, as well as comparable camera quality. Oleksiy Babenko explains that in the first version it will be worse than the Mavic 3 Pro, but better than the Mavic 3 Classic. However, in the second version it will be comparable to the Mavic 3 Pro camera.
"Furthermore, this is a more stable communication system, because we do not have the limitations that a civilian company has. We have a much more stable connection, because we are basically creating it for work on the front, not for civilian life. These are different algorithms of work with different suppression algorithms," says the director of Vyriy Drone.
Another advantage will be the drone's noise level – Oleksiy Babenko notes that the company's development will be quieter than the Mavic.
Vyriy Drone plans to launch mass production of the drone by the end of the summer. The company's director set a goal of developing production capabilities in six months to be able to meet at least half of the front's needs.
The bulk of purchases, he said, can be carried out by military units and charitable foundations even in the absence of a state order.
As you know, the problem with the availability of DJI Mavic drones became more acute in early 2025, when the Chinese company DJI stopped their production. Mavic drones gained popularity due to their compactness, ease of use, shooting quality and reliability. This made them indispensable, in particular, for use on the front. The Mavic 3 available on the market are the remnants of stocks.
Read more in the Defence text: The end of the DJI Mavic 3 era. How the military will live without the main Chinese drone and where are the Ukrainian analogues