A Ukrainian soldier with a recon drone in the Sumy region.
Francisco Richart/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Frontline troops buying drones on Ukraine's combat tech marketplace, Brave1 Market, receive their gear within about eight days, Kyiv said on Tuesday.The Ukrainian defense ministry said the service had reduced the average delivery time for in-stock items from two weeks to eight days.Brave1 Market works like an Amazon-style platform for drones and counter-drone tech, allowing local manufacturers to list their products online. Military units can purchase these weapons or systems directly and leave reviews and ratings for fellow troops to see.The online service offers over 4,000 items, ranging from first-person-view attack quadcopters and drone parts to tactical equipment and ammunition.The defense ministry added on Tuesday that the Brave1 Market filled about 5 billion hryvnias, or $111 million, in drone orders in June alone."This is the largest amount of orders in a single month during the entire existence of the eBal program," it said.It's unclear how much of this represents actual funds spent by troops; Brave1 features an ePoints system that allows military units to accrue credits on the marketplace for confirmed kills or destruction of Russian equipment. Other achievements, such as evacuating fellow troops with ground drones, also provide points.
