Drones are now being used for criminal purposes. The National Police are calling for legislation to regulate this

Vyhovsky made these remarks at a conference in Kyiv, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

“At the end of 2025, we recorded the first instances of drones being used not only as a tool for conducting military operations, but also for committing particularly serious criminal offences. These include, in particular, an attempted murder in the Lviv region and the planning of a terrorist attack in the Dnipropetrovsk region,” he said.

Vyhovsky highlighted a new threat — the use of drones in criminal circles outside the combat zone. According to him, to effectively counter this, not only operational and technical solutions are needed, but also changes to the regulatory framework.

Vyhovskyi noted that a draft law had already been drawn up to regulate the use of drones, including who purchased a drone, who uses it, and so on.

“This involves establishing a transparent, controlled system for the circulation of unmanned technologies, which will minimise the risks of their use for criminal purposes,” explained Vyhovskyi.

According to the head of the National Police, the bill has been backed by a number of MPs, and he is counting on support from other parliamentarians.

“After the war, those of our trained military personnel whom the state fails to provide with jobs, and who do not feel needed by society, may turn to crime,” added Vyhovskyi.

As a reminder, an illegal scheme was previously uncovered in Ukraine. National Guard servicemen were stealing drones from their unit and selling them on ‘OLX’.

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