FIRE & FOREST DEFENSE INITIATIVE UKRAINE
(FFDI-UKR)
Mission
FFDI UKRAINE is a national program created to protect firefighters and restore Ukraine’s forests in areas contaminated by landmines, unexploded ordnance, and radiation.
The initiative is developing a fully autonomous wildfire suppression and forest management system that can operate where human access is too dangerous. By using Ukrainian defense-derived technologies such as unmanned ground vehicles, aerial drones, and advanced sensors, FFDI UKR is building a new generation of tools to fight fires safely and restore ecosystems in high-risk environments.
The Problem
Thousands of square kilometers of Ukrainian forest are contaminated with explosives and remnants of war. These areas are at constant risk of wildfire. When they burn, the flames spread toxins, destroy critical ecosystems, and endanger nearby communities.
In many cases, firefighters cannot safely approach the fire. Mines, shells, and radiation make traditional ground suppression impossible. Fires are often left to burn unchecked, causing catastrophic loss of forest cover and biodiversity.
FFDI UKR was established to solve this problem through technology. It provides a safe and effective way to manage wildfires and begin ecological recovery in areas that were once inaccessible.
The Fire & Forest Defense Initiative Ukraine (FFDI UKR) is a national applied research and technology validation program focused on protecting firefighters and restoring Ukraine's forests in areas contaminated by landmines, unexploded ordnance, and other remnants of war.
FFDI UKRAINE will assist in development, testing, and deployment of novel suppression and forest management systems and methodologies capable of operating in high risk environments where human access is dangerous or impossible. This includes mined forests, zones with chemical or radiological hazards, and areas where destroyed infrastructure has reduced fire response capacity.
This initiative is fundamentally centered on firefighter safety. It is designed to prevent firefighters, foresters, and emergency responders from being forced to choose between operational inaction and life threatening exposure.
The program will leverage new technology and methodologies, including autonomous ground vehicles, unmanned aviation, sensor fusion systems, and AI enabled operational software, to create a complete firefighting ecosystem for contaminated environments.
Key objectives
Develop wildfire suppression systems that protects firefighters by eliminating direct exposure to contamination
Establish a framework for fire operations in contaminated areas
Validate technologies and methodologies for fire, environmental, and humanitarian use
Accelerate the safe rehabilitation and release of contaminated forests for restoration and community use
FFDI UKR functions as a coalition platform bringing Ukrainian emergency agencies, forestry authorities, defense technology companies, academic partners, and humanitarian organizations together to deliver a field validated system for autonomous wildfire response and forest recovery.
SUPPORT
Ukrainian wildfire responders operate in conditions with no international precedent. Millions of acres of forested land contain UXO, landmines, and artillery fragments placed since 2022. Many zones remain dangerous even after fire suppression. Traditional ground firefighting is impossible in large areas.v
FFDI UKR is focused on mission areas:
Protect Firefighters
Facilitate the development and deployment of unmanned ecosystems that can operate in dangerous terrain, reducing exposure and ensuring that no responder is put at risk from explosives or radiation.
Suppress Fires Autonomously
Systems detect, analyze, and suppress wildfires using advanced sensors, unmanned vehicles, and AI-driven decision tools that communicate in real time with Ukrainian emergency agencies.Restore Forests
Ukrainian Technology for Global Recovery
FFDI UKR draws on Ukraine’s world-leading defense and robotics industry. Technologies originally designed for logistics, surveillance, and demining are being adapted for environmental and humanitarian use.
Ukrainian companies are developing ground and aerial platforms capable of remote suppression, mapping, and recovery operations. These systems use open-architecture software, hybrid propulsion, and resilient communication networks to perform safely under battlefield-like conditions.
By transforming defense technology into tools for peace and environmental protection, FFDI UKR helps Ukraine lead the world in applied dual-use innovation.
Use Case Development and Project Execution
Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Testing remote suppression and monitoring in radiological forests.
Kharkiv Region
Validating robotic fire suppression and communication resilience in mine-contaminated zones.
Chernihiv Region
Deploying autonomous systems for post-fire reforestation and ecological recovery.
Each pilot site serves as a proving ground for technology integration, operator training, and long-term data collection to improve future operations.
Establish standardized procedures for robotic operations in contaminated terrain
FFDI UKR will produce a comprehensive suite of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for autonomous and semi-autonomous systems operating in UXO-affected forests. These SOPs will be developed in coordination with government and NGO organizations to ensure compliance with Ukrainian and international standards.
FFDI UKRAINE follows an applied-research and field-validation cycle designed to ensure each technology performs safely and effectively in real-world conditions.
1. Hazard Mapping
Using UAV-based LiDAR, multispectral imaging, and mine-action data, FFDI UKR creates detailed hazard and fuel maps to identify areas suitable for autonomous operations.
2. Prototype Development
Ukrainian defense-technology partners integrate robotic platforms, sensors, and communication modules into testbed systems adapted for wildfire conditions.
3. Controlled Field Testing
Under the supervision of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, prototypes are tested in controlled burn zones to measure detection speed, suppression accuracy, and system reliability.
4. Data Integration and Learning
Every field test feeds data into AI algorithms that continuously improve fire-behavior modeling, risk prediction, and autonomous decision-making.
5. Operational Training
Firefighters and forestry personnel are trained to operate, monitor, and maintain the systems through specialized national certification programs.
6. Scale and Replication
Validated systems are deployed to new regions, refined through feedback, and standardized into national procedures for contaminated-area firefighting and forest management.
This iterative process ensures that FFDI UKR technology is tested, refined, and proven before full-scale adoption, bridging the gap between research and operational readiness.
FFDI UKR represents a new approach to emergency management and post-conflict recovery. By combining humanitarian goals with technological innovation, we are proving that the same tools built for war can help rebuild and protect the environment.
We invite donors, technology partners, and research institutions to join us in expanding this model across Ukraine and into other post-conflict regions.
SUPORT UKRAINIAN FORESTRY TODAY
Support our mission by contributing a donation DIRECTLY TO THE IM[PLEMENTATION OPERATIONS OF FOREMI-UKR.