1 · The open category
Under martial law, Ukrainian airspace is closed to civil aviation. The Civil Aviation Development Strategy to 2030 (Cabinet of Ministers decision 677-р of 8 July 2026) says so: “owing to the fighting on the territory of Ukraine, the airspace of Ukraine is closed to civil aviation flights”, and it notes the “absence of State regulation in the field of the operation of unmanned aircraft”. No central text read expressly bans civilian drones; local authority websites state that private and amateur flights are prohibited under martial law without written authorisation from the regional administration, the SBU and the General Staff — this point is not verified against a central text.
The peacetime rules are those of the “Rules for the Use of the Airspace of Ukraine” (order 430/210 of 11 May 2018). Ukraine does not apply the European regulation: the limit is 20 kg, with no A1, A2 or A3 categories.
- Drones of 20 kg or less fly without requesting an airspace use plan, without authorisation and without informing the Air Force if all the conditions are met: no crossing of the border; at least 5 km from the boundaries of aerodrome runways (3 km from heliports); not over open-air assemblies or densely built-up areas; not over Defence, SBU or National Police sites; direct line of sight (VLOS); 120 m at most; 160 km/h at most.
- Above 20 kg, flights take place in specially established zones and on specially established routes, with a request for an airspace use plan.
- The Air Code (art. 39) exempts from registration in the register drones of 20 kg or less used for leisure, out-of-school education, science and sport.
2 · Zones: restricted or closed airspace
The use of airspace may be restricted or prohibited in whole or in part (Air Code, art. 30). Cabinet of Ministers resolution 954 (points 30 and 33) allows a prohibition to be established in the event of a threat to national security or during an armed conflict, at the request of the Ministry of the Interior, the National Police, the border guards, the General Staff or the SBU. Zones are published through AIP documents and NOTAMs. No official map or application of drone zones is mentioned in the sources consulted.
⚠️ Glydar’s map does not display Ukraine’s regulations: the official airspace publications (AIP, NOTAM) prevail, to be consulted before every flight — see the coverage, country by country.
3 · Registration, exam and insurance
- Operator registration, pilot training, the minimum age and insurance for a leisure flight are not stated in the sources consulted. The 2030 Strategy plans to create operator certification, a pilot training system and risk classes: these are projects, not rules in force.
4 · FPV and night flying
The 2018 text requires flying within line of sight (VLOS); no FPV or night rule is stated in the sources consulted.
5 · Before every flight
- Under martial law: the airspace is closed to civil aviation; the 2018 rules may not apply.
- Outside martial law: 20 kg at most, direct line of sight, 120 m, 5 km from runways.
- No flying over Defence, SBU or National Police sites.
This guide simplifies — it replaces neither the official texts nor an up-to-date check. When in doubt: the Державіаслужба (State Aviation Service).
6 · Penalties: what the law says
The Code of Administrative Offences (КУпАП, art. 111, “Violation of flight safety rules”) provides for:
- A fine of 60 to 500 “non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens” for flights carried out in breach of the texts governing aviation.
- Law enforcement may neutralise a drone committing an offence (Air Code, art. 19).
The version of the Code consulted is old and undated: the current scale and the existence of an article specific to drones are not verified. The text of the law prevails, not this page.
7 · Your responsibility, and what Glydar does
Glydar informs; it exempts from nothing. This guide reproduces official sources but is not an official source, does not guarantee that they are exhaustive or up to date, and does not amount to a flight authorisation.
The remote pilot remains solely responsible for their flight and its compliance, as the terms of use recall. Everything needed to check is within reach: the coverage, country by country, the official map and the texts cited below.