Call sign Khmuryi: "Fiber-optic drones are best for targeting military hardware. Or when you need to fly precisely into basement. It’s "ace up your sleeve"
Vadym, an FPV pilot of the Ghost of Khortytsia UAV battalion of the 15th Karadag Rapid Response Brigade, has the call sign Khmuryi (Grim). He "inherited" it from his cousin, who served in the same brigade and passed the call sign on after he was discharged. He entered the army in 2019, signed a contract at the age of 20 and went into service. One month before the full-scale invasion, he found himself in a combat zone during a rotation as part of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO).
- Did you understand then that a full-scale war was possible?
- I realized it a year before and warned all my friends, but nobody believed me. They laughed. They didn’t take my words seriously. They couldn’t imagine it was possible. Although that spring, Russia had already moved troops to the border. I live in the Sumy region, so everyone locally knew about it. But in 2021, the Russians did not advance.
- Did you later talk to those friends? Did you discuss the fact that you had warned them?
- Everyone forgot what I had said earlier. And overall, it just wasn’t the time for that anymore.
- Where were you on February 24, 2022?
- I was in Stanytsia Luhanska. We had started preparing for war about ten days before that. At first, the front was quiet. The "LNR guys" were just sitting in their trenches, drinking. We were minding our own business. But then a swarm of drones appeared in the sky. They were deployed in a grid-like pattern, like a chessboard, and lit up with beacons. My comrade and I were out on patrol in the town where we were stationed. We noticed one drone glowing, then another, and a few more after that. We reported it to our superior. He replied, "That can’t be happening!" But we saw them with our own eyes. And then the "LNR guys" started hitting us with mortars. After that, they launched Grad rockets at Stanytsia Luhanska. One even struck a kindergarten; they showed it on the news. That’s when we realized they were preparing for the full-scale invasion.
On February 23, they evacuated us all to a defended post on high ground to take up the defence. Then the order came: "Stand down—everyone back to your positions." We had barely returned when, that night, we were put on full alert again. We didn’t take it too seriously, thinking it would be just like the previous, we’d already gone through the same thing the day before. But when those b@stards went to the neighboring checkpoint and attacked our brothers-in-arms we served with, we realized: this was no longer a game. The real war had begun. Yes, we expected it any day, but it was only then that full awareness set in.
- What was your role at that time? What position did you serve in?
- I was an APC gunner. Fortunately, it broke down after completing its last mission, we saved three comrades from the National Guard. If it had remained operational, I’d probably have been buried inside it.
- Why? Were the combat operations that intense?
- Yes, within just a couple of days, fighting became very intense as we were stopping Russian columns.
- When exactly did the APC break down?
- On the first day of the full-scale invasion. We gathered together and decided to retreat because the b@stards were advancing in large columns. We needed to fall back a bit to establish a defensive position during the withdrawal. Higher command (I won’t name which unit) abandoned the last observation post closest to the Russian border, near which b@stards were advancing. They asked us to pick up the guys there since no one wanted to go. We went and got them. As soon as we returned, we lined up the vehicles into a column, drove about a kilometer, and the APC broke down.
- What did you operate after that?
- I served as an infantryman.
- It was your first time on the front. What were those first months of the war like for you?
- Now, when I look back, it almost seems like it was fun (smiles – О.М.). But back then, the feelings were different. I even find myself a bit nostalgic for that time. Because today, it’s a completely different war.
- You fought in Donbas from the start, right?
- Yes. Sieverodonetsk, Rubizhne. We were attached to unit 3018 of the National Guard, which is now known as the Rubizhne Brigade. By the way, they got that name for defending Rubizhne.
- I recorded interviews with soldiers who fought in the battles for Rubizhne. They said those fights were very tough…
- It was hard, but also fun (smiles – О.М.). The enemy really pushed hard.
- We call those battles a "meat grinder." Were you afraid?
- I felt fear for the first two or three days, and then it disappeared. We just had to get on with the job.
- By the way, how do you cope with fear or panic? How do you keep yourself under control in such tough situations?
- I’ll put it this way: when the right people are next to you, there’s no panic, no fear, nothing. I was very lucky to have seasoned guys with us. Whenever the b@stards assaulted us, we’d sing them a certain song (smiles – O.M.) and shout that the "dance floor" was open. Every assault turned out pretty lively. But when I dashed over to some neighbouring positions, I saw nothing but gloom and misery: everyone was down, upset, counting the days they had left to live. Even five minutes there was hard, the demoralisation was total. With us, everything ran like clockwork! That’s why I say: what matters most is who’s beside you.
- That song you sang—wasn’t it about Putin?
- No, no! It’s a sort of cover of "It’s Raining Men": "It's raining men, it's raining men" (sings – O.M.). When the bastards were storming us, the lads and I would run around, return fire, and yell those words at b@stards (laughs – O.M.).
- Why did you become a pilot? How did your story begin?
- It started last year in Orikhiv. When I was serving in the infantry, I was scrolling through TikTok and came across a video of an FPV freestyle; they were flying so beautifully through abandoned areas, weaving between trees at high speed. I really liked it. I decided to buy a controller and practice flying on a simulator in my free time. I taught myself from scratch, without knowing anything about FPV or how to control it. Then our battalion was reorganized from infantry into a drone unit, and I was offered the chance to become an FPV pilot. Of course, I accepted.
- So you were still on the Zaporizhzhia front then, or were you redeployed elsewhere?
- Our brigade was pulled back for recovery in winter. At the beginning of March, we went to work near Kupiansk.
At first, I was supposed to pilot a Mavic drone. But I don’t like those at all! So when they asked me if I’d fly FPV, I said, "With pleasure!"...
- Why don’t you like "Mavics"?
-To me, a "Mavic" feels unserious, childish. It’s controlled by all kinds of systems, navigation, stabilization. If the wind blows the wrong way, the drone loses control, crashes, and then your commanders ask why you lost it (smiles — O.M.). With FPV control, everything depends entirely on the pilot. There are no stabilization systems or anything like that.
- What was your first combat sortie like?
-You know, before my first real combat flight on a proper FPV, I flew in the field twice for five minutes each time (smiles — O.M.). I asked the guys for that. Then they told me: "You roll up to the position." There were three of us — all rookies, none of us had ever been on combat positions as FPV pilots. For one day, the seniors assigned us a very experienced pilot. He was temporarily acting platoon commander. He was supposed to lead until he saw that we were working properly. But he was with us for less than a day. He said we were doing everything clearly, so the command decided to take him away from us. That’s how we started (smiles — O.M.). At first, of course, we missed a bit, but they were still satisfied with our work.
- Do you remember your first strike?
- We flew into a basement. Some b@stards had just run in there, and we struck them.
- What was the "biggest" target you destroyed?
- Our sector is relatively calm. Also, there’s a river in front of us that makes it hard for those b@stards to cross; it holds them back. So, mostly we deal with infantry and motorcyclists, not heavy equipment. Once, b@stards' armor tried to force the river crossing but got hit and sank. They realized those attempts were pointless.
- Their infantry now moves in small groups, right?
- Exactly. One or two at a time. It’s very rare to see four.
- Is it easier or harder for you to hit them that way?
- Hard to say for sure. If, say, two of them are running, yeah, it’s easier. You pick the most optimal one.
- Meaning who exactly?
- Look, between tree lines, they have to sprint across open ground. When you're flying toward a group, you go for the one farthest from the bushes, because you might not have time to take out the other guy nearby. You set priorities like that, who’s the easier "prey".
- I know your pilots have started using drones on fiber-optic cable. Do you fly those too?
- I trained to fly those drones with neighboring units that already use them, they gave us a short briefing. But we haven’t taken full courses. Yes, we do have that kind of gear. I’ve got them with me at the position, but they’re on standby waiting for the moment those b@stards really start storming us. Right now, there’s no critical need for them, since the b@stards are mostly moving on foot. Fiber-optic drones are needed when armored vehicles are coming in, especially those equipped with electronic warfare systems. A regular FPV won’t even get close, they’ll jam it. But fiber-optic drones don’t care about that. So they’re better suited for targeting military hardware. Or when you need to fly precisely into a basement where ammo is being stored. It’s like an "ace up your sleeve".
- But these drones do have their downsides — like the limited range, 10 to 15 kilometers...
- It all depends on how much fiber-optic cable is spooled. There are 10-, 15-, or 20-kilometer spools. But you have to understand: you won’t cover that full distance, wind drags the cable. Plus, you’re flying low to the ground, so you have to dodge tree lines and bushes that the cable might snag on. So with a 10-kilometer spool, you’ll realistically make it about eight kilometers, because of overrun.
- So, flying those drones is harder than flying standard FPVs?
- In some ways, yes. For example, with a regular FPV, you take off, choose the altitude that works best for you, and you get a clear view, landmarks, tree lines, ravines, all visible. But with fiber-optic drones, you’re flying low over the ground. Even if you’re an experienced pilot who knows the area well, it’ll feel like you’re flying there for the first time because everything looks completely different from that angle.
- The enemy has these drones too, and in large numbers, right?
- They’ve got a ton of drones. You fly early in the morning, when the sun’s still low, and you see just how many there are — it’s like everything around you is tangled in a web. Because those b@stards are using fiber optics, it’s harder for us to organize logistics.
- Do they have, let’s say, a "work schedule"? Like, are they more active in the morning or evening?
- I wouldn’t say so. There’s no pattern like them only flying in the morning or at night. They do it constantly, as long as they’ve got a target. And if they spot one of our positions, they’ll keep hammering it until either it’s destroyed or our guys relocate.
- I recently interviewed your fellow soldier with the call sign "Chek," and he told me that on their frontline, it’s gotten to the point where pilots are hunting other pilots. Is it the same for you? Are they "hunting" you too?
- Of course, they’re "hunting" us, especially with Mavics. We launch them too. There really are drones that track each other now.
Let me tell you what happened to me and a buddy. My comrade was piloting an FPV. We needed to strike a b@stard. One of our Mavic pilots was observing him. We were waiting for an adjustment and more precise coordinates. While our recon drone was hovering, the b@stard`s drone tried to take it out — but didn’t notice our FPV because he was backing up. He accidentally ran into it, triggered the detonation in midair, and our drone ended up taking down the enemy one. We even got a screenshot from the footage as a keepsake.
- A lucky mistake on their pilot’s part, huh?
- Yeah, he ran right into us. Slipped up a bit (smiles — O.M.).
- And what are their pilots like overall? How skilled are they?
- Very, very skilled. When it comes to this stuff, they’ve come a long way. They’ve got experienced pilots and lots of drones.
- I remember when Russian troops were being called "chmonias"…
("Chmonia" is a derogatory slang term used in Ukraine to describe poorly trained, unkempt, and demoralized Russian soldiers, often sent to the front lines with minimal preparation or equipment - ed.note)
- Whenever I hear someone say that, I always reply: "Come over here and see for yourself how much of ‘chmonias’ they really are." Honestly, it’s never felt like they’re idiots, incompetent, or clumsy. During the first six months of the full-scale war, they didn’t fight particularly well, but they learned, and now they operate here quite effectively. Unfortunately. In some aspects, they even outperform us. But that’s okay. We’re holding our ground.
- You have a partner now, a still-green pilot. Are you training him?
- He’s a buddy of mine; we served together before the full-scale invasion. He wanted to join a combat brigade and asked me to help, so I went to the brass. They fully support young, motivated guys like him coming to our unit. So first, he was sent to an FPV school, then assigned here. He trained at the range with me directly. I’m retraining him because in school, they teach the civilian version, basically, how to lift the drone and fly it around. But the front line is a completely different story. The flight itself is only about ten percent of the job. There are many more nuances and tasks you need to understand and be able to perform. So I told him, "Forget everything they taught you at FPV school" (smiles — O.M.). "You’re going to learn all over again." Right now, it’s his first rotation at the position. He’s doing his internship. He’s trying hard. Good lad!
- Has the number of newcomers increased since the start of the recruitment campaign, when people got the chance to choose their role and unit?
- I don’t know about other units, but in ours, you’ve always been able to apply for the position you wanted. And I wouldn’t say things changed much with the mass recruitment push. Guys used to come and they still do now.
- You mentioned that your sector is relatively calm. Over these past few months, while talks about a possible ceasefire have been going on, has the situation changed? Have those discussions affected what’s happening on your end?
- I’ll say right away, they haven’t. But there was one moment: on Easter, they announced a "truce," and the whole night was quiet. I woke up in the morning, stepped out of the dugout and it was dead silent. Genuinely eerie (smiles — O.M.). The only thing you could hear was birds singing like it was a normal spring day. But it didn’t last long. By the afternoon, there were explosions and attacks again.
- Russia also announced a "truce" for May 9. Was it quiet then too?
- No. That time, everything was as usual. Stable
- How do you feel about these negotiations in general? Do you have any hope that the fighting might stop in the near future?
- No hope at all. I don’t believe there’ll be any lull or truce. And even if it does happen, it’ll actually be worse for us.
- Why?
- I believe that in three, maybe five years, those b@stards will regroup and take half of Ukraine, right up to the Dnipro River. They’ll launch an even larger counteroffensive, so massive that this full-scale war will seem like child’s play by comparison.
- In that case, are you ready to keep fighting?
- We don’t have a choice! Of course, we’re ready! We’re not going anywhere. But the war’s still ongoing. So, we’ll live and see.
- So I take it you don’t really plan for the future? You live day by day?
- With the kind of work we do, thinking about the future is a luxury. You don’t know what’ll happen a week from now, you can’t even plan a leave in advance. So yes, we live for today. It’s not that we’re in despair, not at all. We just don’t make plans for five or ten years down the line.
- Do you get to take any leave? Get a bit of rest?
- Of course. Though I haven’t had any this year yet, since the brigade’s been redeployed from one area to another. But we’re waiting.
- Have you noticed any changes in how people in the rear perceive the military or the war in general? I remember Colonel Yurii Fedorenko, commander of the 429th Unmanned Systems Regiment, mentioning in an interview how public perception has evolved. According to him, back in 2022, when the enemy was near Kyiv, wearing a military uniform was seen as a symbol of safety. The following year brought a kind of neutrality. And by 2024, some civilians even began to see the uniform as a threat. Have you noticed anything like that?
- I can’t speak for specific timelines, I haven’t paid much attention to that. But I can tell you based on location. I live in a city where four military units are stationed. Roughly speaking, almost all residents are either service members or their families. So if you walk around in uniform there, people ask you what happened — "Why didn’t you change out of it?"
When I transferred to the "KaraDag" brigade and ended up on the Zaporizhzhia front, I saw a different picture. There were times we had to go into Zaporizhzhia, and on the first trip, a woman came up to me, hugged me, started crying, and thanked me. I felt awkward, didn’t know how to react. But I heard words of gratitude there more than once. A little girl even gave me a drawing. So it turns out that in one city, people give you side-eyes for being in uniform, and in another, they thank you.
- By the way, about your hometown. It’s constantly under enemy fire. After the first meeting between the two delegations in Turkey, media reported that the Russians were threatening to seize Sumy and Kharkiv regions, your home region and the one where you’re currently fighting. What do you think about that?
- We’ll hold the line and fight back. Whatever they want, that’s their problem. Nothing’s going to change on our end, we’ll keep doing our job. It’ll just give us even more motivation.
- Sumy region is under serious threat, especially with the intense fighting in the Kursk area…
- Yes, I know what’s happening there. My uncle was killed during the Kursk operation.
- I’m sorry to hear that.
- Thank you.
- Do you think the Kursk operation could be used to intimidate people with the threat of an advance on Sumy?
- They've tried to scare us with everything under the sun. They’ll latch onto anything. But honestly, they don’t even need a reason to do something. Same with the full-scale invasion, they just made something up, barged in here, and now we have a war.
P.S.: Friends, the Ghost of Khortytsia UAV battalion of the 15th Karadag Rapid Response Brigade is continuing its fundraiser for fiber-optic systems and reconnaissance drones, which are badly needed. Please don’t stand aside. Every contribution - 5, 10, 20, 50 hryvnias - makes a difference. Be part of the enemy’s worst nightmare. Help bring Victory closer together with our troops. Details:
https://send.monobank.ua/jar/6gqhajSpZG
Bank card number
4441 1111 2234 2318
Olha Moskaliuk, Censor.NET
Photos provided by the interviewee
