Ukraine has launched a program that awards points to soldiers who verifiably kill Russian troops or destroy their equipment. They can then use these rewards to purchase drones and other weapons from an online “Amazon”-style marketplace.
Mykhailo Fedorov, who serves as Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation, said this week that his government has launched the Brave1 Market, a website that showcases military technology from the defense industry, including drones, robots, and electronic warfare devices, that are available for purchase.
Ukrainian military units can use their funds to purchase equipment directly from the website, which functions “like Amazon,” Fedorov wrote on Telegram on Monday. However, instead of selling common items, the Brave1 Market offers “innovations.”
Military units can also use reward points for purchases. Units are awarded points for killing enemy soldiers or destroying Russian military equipment, so long as they confirm the attack with drone footage and upload it to a military situational awareness network.
Once the kill is verified, units receive “ePoints;” the amount depends on the target. Eliminating a Russian soldier reportedly awards six points, while destroying a tank earns 40. These points can be exchanged for military equipment through the Brave1 Market.
“The marketplace will significantly simplify the interaction between developers and the military,” Fedorov said, per a translation of his remarks on Telegram. He said that military units can choose the right tech in just a few clicks, compare different equipment, contact the manufacturer, and make a deal directly.
Fedorov said military units are often unaware of certain equipment available to them, so the new site is intended to offer more transparency. He said that over 1,000 different types of equipment, including various drones, ground robots, guns, and electronic warfare devices, are already on the Brave1 Market.
The catalog is extensive — units can even buy cameras, batteries, engines, and satellite communication devices. Much of the material is readily available for viewing on the site, but some sensitive information can only be accessed by certain users.
Alex Eine, the section commander of a drone unit in Ukraine’s Separate Presidential Brigade, told Business Insider that the points system works best for soldiers who work with small first-person-view (FPV) or bomber drones on the front lines. More frequent missions mean a greater chance of earning points.
Eine’s unit, known in English as the “Birds of Fury,” uses a drone called the Backfire to strike Russian positions behind the front lines. The drone is available on the Brave1 Market for around $60,000 for a pack of three; its value in points is unclear.
A popular bomber drone called “Baba Yaga” costs around 43 points, according to Politico, which cited Fedorov’s comments at a recent tech conference in Kyiv. The Ukrainian government will pay for the drones ordered with points and deliver them to the units.
Fedorov said one unit, Magyar’s Birds, had already accumulated over 16,000 points, enough to buy hundreds of drones. The unit’s front-line drone operations are well known. The Brave1 Market website lists the unit as the top earner of combat points in March.
Other high-earning units include the 59th Separate Assault Brigade, part of the Unmanned Systems Forces, and the 3rd Separate Special Purpose Regiment, part of the Special Operations Forces.
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