One of the largest events in the world of drone racing is the Russian Cup.

with the participation of the country’s strongest pilots – started in Samara as part of the XIII International Sports Forum “Russia – a Sports Power”. The competition will last from November 3 to 5 at the Solidarity Samara Arena stadium.

The forum is held from November 5 to 7 in Samara in accordance with the order of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. The event operator is the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Samara Region.

The topic of developing high-tech sports is widely represented in the Forum programs. On November 5 and 6, business sessions will raise key questions about the digital transformation of the industry, the future of drone racing, sports programming, phygital sports, laser tag and the use of artificial intelligence in sports.

Key issues, tasks and goals for the further development of innovative sports will be discussed by: President of the Russian Drone Racing Federation Ilya Galaev, President of the All-Russian Federation of Phygital Sports, Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics Nikita Nagorny, Executive Director of the Russian Sports Programming Federation Alexander Roslyakov, President of the Russian Computer Sports Federation Dmitry Smith, Chairman of the Russian Laser Tag Federation Dmitry Solodov and Chairman of the All-Russian movement “Healthy Fatherland” Ekaterina Leshchinskaya and other representatives of sports organizations, government bodies and business.

One of the striking examples of the successful development of the industry was the Russian Drone Racing Cup, which started today in the bowl of the Samara Arena stadium.

61 athletes from 14 regions of the country came to Samara to identify the strongest pilots of the Russian Cup. They will compete in four disciplines: 200 class and 330 class – in individual and team competitions. Among the participants are the winners and prize-winners of the Russian Championship, as well as the first official international tournament – the Moscow Drone Racing Cup – 2025. The youngest participant in the Russian Cup, Arina Kurkova, is 14 years old. Based on the results of the competition, the final composition of the Russian drone racing team will be formed.

“The Russian Drone Racing Cup is a bridge between sport and innovation, between tradition and the future. At the forum “Russia is a Sports Power” we show that our country does not just follow trends, but through the efforts of the Russian Ministry of Sports and the entire industry, shapes them, actively developing and promoting technological sports, where victory depends not only on personal skill, but also on the perfection of engineering,” explained the President of the Russian Drone Racing Federation Ilya Galaev.

On the day of the official start of the Forum, November 5, the finals of the competition will take place in the most spectacular and fastest 330 class – in the team competition. On Wednesday, November 5, residents of Samara will be able to watch the Russian Cup battles for free at the Solidarity Samara Arena stadium; for everyone else, a live broadcast will be organized on the Rutube channel of the Drone Racing Federation.

It should be noted that spectators and guests of the Forum will not only be able to immerse themselves in the racing drive and watch the competition of the strongest, but also try themselves as a pilot at master classes. Everyone can play drone basketball, fly a virtual drone in a simulator, assemble a quadcopter and see the race through the eyes of an athlete wearing FPV goggles.

The competition is organized by the Russian Drone Racing Federation.

“Match TV” (part of Gazprom-Media Holding) is the general information partner of the forum “Russia – a sports power”