TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwan-based company announced Thursday (March 17) that it will donate 10 drones worth a total of NT$1 million (US$35,000) to the Ukraine to support the country as it battles Russian invaders.
At a press conference, XDynamics Taiwan said it will donate 10 of its Evolve 2 drones to the Ukrainian military. The drones can reach a top speed of 90 kilometers per hour, can transport small loads of medical supplies, and are to be used for peacekeeping and delivering medical supplies, among other purposes.
Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP, 台灣基進) Secretary General Wang Hsing-huan (王興煥) said both Taiwan and Ukraine are defending democracy against totalitarian regimes, so they must "stand together on the same front." Wang said drones are a powerful weapon in modern information warfare and are also useful for humanitarian missions.
However, he pointed out that many are made in China and alleged that Beijing cooperates with Moscow's aim to disable some of the functions of camera drones sold in Ukraine, "threatening the survival of Ukrainians." Therefore, Wang said that the TSP has cooperated with XDynamics Taiwan to donate 10 of its camera drones to ensure the products will not be restricted or degraded and to keep information gathered from these devices from falling "into enemy hands."
XDyanamics Taiwan spokesman Bert Hsu said that his company "supports peace and is anti-war." He stated that the Evolve 2 models donated to Ukraine will be used for peacekeeping and transportation of medical goods.
According to Hsu, Ukrainian users of the drones will be able to obtain high-quality images at critical moments while providing humanitarian assistance and that the devices can carry small amounts of medical supplies if necessary. The drones were to be transported from the U.S. to Poland within one or two days from the press conference.
The Evolve 2 drones have a flight time of 33 minutes and a maximum range of 11 km. Hsu added that they come with the company's proprietary "silent propellers," providing a degree of stealth.