Mike Chitwood Visits Ukraine for Drone Research

Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood has returned from a trip to Ukraine, he announced to his Facebook page on Thursday. Chitwood said he visited the country to learn about the nature of drone attacks in a warzone. “I’m headed back to U.S. soil after a trip I’ll never forget,” Chitwood said. “For the past several days I’ve been in Ukraine, meeting with police and special forces for an eye-opening lesson on the capabilities and threats of drone strikes. I was able to make this trip alongside the philanthropist Howard G. Buffett and the Police Executive Research Forum.” Ukraine has been the center of a violent invasion from Russia since February 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin mobilized troops into Ukrainian territory. The invasion has been widely condemned on the global stage, and Ukraine is receiving billions of dollars in military, financial, and humanitarian aid from the United States, European Union, and other allies. In describing what he learned on his visit, Chitwood did not delve into the geopolitics behind the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Instead, he spoke to the potential dangers of drone-implemented attacks within the United States. “It’s not a matter of if, but when we experience a terrorist attack via drone here in the USA,” Chitwood wrote. “The future is here, and we need to be prepared for it.” In his visit Chitwood arrived in Lviv, a key city for Ukrainian government functioning while its capital of Kyiv continues to be a target of heavy military bombardment. Lviv itself has been hit with Russian missile strikes since March 2022. As recently as October 5th Lviv was the target of a drone strike that killed five civilians and injured dozens more. “Ukraine has become the epicenter of drone warfare as unmanned aerial systems are the dominant weapon deployed by both sides,” Chitwood continued. “A huge portion of all casualties of this war are caused by drone attacks. This terrible war may be 5,000 miles away, but the tactics and technology used in Ukraine bear watching here at home. Drones are relatively cheap, readily available and could pose a serious threat if weaponized and used to target our community or one of our major events.” Also in his visit, Chitwood said he met members of the Ukrainian military who have been wounded while fighting Russian forces. He got an up-close look at how those troops are recovering from their injuries. “It was humbling to meet with some of the heroes who have lost limbs and sustained many other traumatic injuries in the war,” he said. “I spent an afternoon at the Superhumans Center, where war survivors receive reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation, and will never forget their bravery and resilience.” Chitwood’s journey into Ukraine was funded by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the sheriff said. The foundation was founded in 1999 by its namesake, the second child of billionaire Warren Buffett. The organization states that its mission is “to catalyze transformational change to improve the standard of living and quality of life, particularly for the world’s most impoverished and marginalized populations”.