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Transcript/Script((TITLE: TV Drones To Ukraine – Shevchenko
HEAD: US Company Produces Drones for Ukrainian Armed Forces
TEASER: Seattle-based BRINC makes machines used in search-and-rescue missions
DATE: 05/02/2022 at 11:00am
PUBLISHED AT:
BYLINE: Khrystyna Shevchenko
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Seattle, Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: Khrystyna Shevchenko
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, Reuters, AP
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: KE; Reifenrath
PLATFORMS: TV only
TRT: 2:59
VID APPROVED BY: KE
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
(Please return to Anna Rice and copy to HFR when done)
((INTRO:))
[[BRINC, a company based in Seattle, Washington, is producing special drones to assist Ukraine’s armed forces. The drones are used in search and rescue missions and can provide eyes in places where it’s too dangerous to send people. Khrystyna Shevchenko has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.]]
((NARRATION))
Blake Resnick, the 22-year-old founder and CEO of the Seattle-based company BRINC, flew to Poland in March to personally deliver ten drones he hopes will help Ukrainians push back the Russian invasion.
His is one of dozens of companies, big and small, that are sending equipment to Ukraine to help the country in its fight against Russia.
Each drone costs about $15,000, and Resnick himself held several training sessions explaining how to navigate and work the drones.
((Blake Resnick, BRINC Drones Founder and CEO))
“Our drones today in Ukraine, they are acting on a couple mission sets. So, the first is the general search and rescue, the stuff we’ve been talking about — flying into a building, looking for survivors, trying to understand if the building is going to collapse further after a strike… // It’s also being used to determine the location of Russian forces."
((NARRATION))
The drones were originally designed to aid tactical teams in barricade, hostage and active shooter situations in the United States. And they don't depend on GPS.
((Dmitry Tarasov, BRINC Drones Technician))
“We’re able to penetrate objects better, fly further, and we don’t rely on GPS. That means in GPS-denied environments, such as concrete buildings, we can operate. // So, this drone is basically a flying cellphone. So if you get to a suspect or to an injured person, you can make a call and have a conversation to figure out the situation.”
((NARRATION))
The drones can operate in complete darkness and can even break windows in order to get inside a building.
((Dmitry Tarasov, BRINC Drones Technician))
“This is the glass-breaker. It has a spinning tungsten carbide end effector. So, as soon as it touches glass, the glass shatters, and that allows us to enter buildings that otherwise you’d have to manually make entry on. It simply attaches and deploys within seconds.”
((NARRATION))
Resnick started designing these unique drones when he was seventeen. In 2021, he attracted over 25 million dollars in investments to his project.
For him, helping Ukraine and donating drones was a simple decision. Resnick has Ukrainian roots.
((Blake Resnick, BRINC Drones Founder and CEO))
“I think Ukraine’s defense of their land is incredibly moral. And I think this is one of the most black-and-white conflicts I’ve seen in my lifetime. And knowing that this is an area where technology could help, I felt highly motivated to try and make that happen."
((NARRATION))
BRINC plans to donate more drones to Ukraine’s military, and Resnick is already discussing the next installment with Ukraine's Ministry of Defense.
((For Khrystyna Shevchenko in Seattle, Washington, Anna Rice, VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Seattle, Washington
BylineKhrystyna Shevchenko
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
