Russian Drone Simulators: Developers Travel Freely While Training Cadets

Aleksei Kolotilov (creator of the FPV Kamikaze Drone simulator) and Egor Sechinskiy (developer of KvadroSim) have toured France, Italy, Belgium, the United States, Turkey, Morocco, Thailand and other nations since Russia’s 2022 invasion. Their Instagram, VK and YouTube posts show family outings at Disneyland Paris, Times Square and Trump Tower, despite Western sanctions on many Russian defence firms.

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Unmanned aerial vehicles now cause up to 70 % of Ukrainian battlefield casualties. In 2024 Russia passed a law obliging schools to teach “patriotism” and “respect for Russia’s defenders.” The Ministry of Defence reports drone training is now part of curricula in over 500 schools and 30 colleges.

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Kolotilov’s HFM Games supplies the FPV Kamikaze Drone simulator, used at the Octagon pilot school in St Petersburg, which has links to the Wagner Group. Sechinskiy’s KvadroSim offers civilian and military versions, partners with >400 Russian schools, the state-owned defence firm Almaz-Antey, and the GRU-backed “Archangel” project in occupied Zaporizhzhia.

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• MoD: >2,500 teachers trained; courses in >500 schools and 30 colleges.

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• KvadroSim: >400 school partners.

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• Russia invested ~16 bn rubles (?£160 m) in drones and training (2020-2024).

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• 1.4 million drones supplied in 2024; analysts link 70 % of casualties to UAVs.

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UK Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge warned that high-profile individuals supporting Russia’s invasion should not travel freely in Europe or the US. Shadow Security Minister Alicia Kearns called Kolotilov and Sechinskiy “cogs in Putin’s war machine.” The Russian MoD stressed the programme’s role in fostering patriotism and teacher training.

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British officials argue that unrestricted travel by these developers undermines the West’s unified stance on Ukrainian sovereignty and fuels the militarisation of Russian youth, both at home and in occupied territories.

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Kolotilov says the simulator is a commercial product used independently, yet open-source research links it to the Octagon school and to training of schoolchildren in Russia and occupied Ukraine. Sechinskiy declined comment on KvadroSim’s military use. Reports of Venezuelan deployment of the software in 2025 remain unverified.

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• “Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said: “High-profile individuals whose work directly supports Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine should not be free to travel across Europe and the United States.” — James Cartlidge, Shadow Defence Secretary

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• “Shadow Security minister Alicia Kearns said: “Aleksei Kolotilov and Egor Sechinskiy are not neutral tech entrepreneurs; they are cogs in Putin’s war machine.” — Alicia Kearns, Shadow Security Minister

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• “Kolotilov told The i Paper that his creation is a “video game” and not a military simulator.” — Aleksei Kolotilov, HFM Games

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• “never co-operated with military organisations or government entities in any country,” — Aleksei Kolotilov

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The investigation highlights that, although sanctions target major defence firms, smaller tech actors can still travel freely, suggesting a regulatory gap that officials say must be addressed.

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