Russia's largest energy holding develops drones with AI to protect power lines

Rosseti is developing an autonomous robotic complex with an embedded AI agent based on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV-inspector) to monitor security and anti-terrorist protection of power lines. The project budget is 109.8 million rubles, and the tender was published on July 9, 2026, with bids accepted until August 7 and results on August 20. The power lines of Rosseti Lenenergo, for which the drones are being developed, span over 52,000 km, a fifth of which is in hard-to-reach areas. The system will detect vandalism, theft, sabotage, terrorist attacks, and technical defects such as pole damage or fallen wires. It will also include facial recognition and license plate identification of people and vehicles near power lines. The complex will use neural networks for detection, segmentation, and tracking, and will include software, drone ports, and a web application for mission planning. All software must be import-substituted, using Russian-made or open-source software, with foreign components allowed only in exceptional cases. The system must comply with FSTEC security standards and be hosted entirely in Russia.