Drone operators

"We shot down Ka-52 helicopter, worth $16 million, with FPV drone on fibre-optic cable costing one and half thousand," – Commander of "High Altitude Predators", Condor This is the second Russian helicopter downed by pilots from the "High-Altitude Predators" unmanned systems battalion of the 59th Brigade. At the end of September last year, the same crew shot down an Mi-8. So far, this is the only crew that has been able to effectively hunt down helicopters. 27.03.26 10:50 6 097 6 Previously in trend: Destruction of enemy’s helicopters Drone operators

Ivan Tsovta: There is virtually no demarcation. There is "kill zone" Before the full-scale invasion, Ivan Tsovta worked in the furniture textile industry: he started as a warehouse worker and later became the executive director of "Silk". Now he is a platoon commander and FPV pilot in the unmanned systems battalion of the 63rd SMB, which has been resisting the enemy in the Lyman direction for a long time. 20.02.26 13:49 10 053 14 Previously in trend: Hostilities in Lyman sector Drone operators

Drone operator Minion: I once spotted b#stard dugout thanks to dog — I just tailed it Today’s interviewee is a young UAV operator known by the callsign Minion. She was likely given the callsign for both her young age and her petite build. She has been serving for more than a year and is currently with the 1st Separate Medical Battalion. Before that, she spent a year trying to join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She is now working in different directions. 13.01.26 11:09 10 223 16 Previously in trend: Drone operators 1st Separate Medical Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Vadym, 155th Brigade Unmanned Systems Pilot, call sign Hurman: "We went into Pokrovsk for 16 days, but stayed there for 80 – most of that time encircled." A 44-year-old pharmaceutical company representative joined the Territorial Defense Forces in 2022 and has been continuously defending Ukraine ever since. He took part in the 2023 counteroffensive in the Zaporizhzhia direction and has been deployed in the Pokrovsk sector since late 2024. 07.01.26 23:29 8 410 4 Previously in trend: Ukraine’s counter-offensive in 2023 Drone operators Unmanned technologies

Call sign Deputy: "Ka-52 flew past us and fired missile. Quite sight! After that, mortar was hardly noticeable" Volodymyr earned the call sign "Deputy" for a reason, in peacetime, he was directly involved in politics, working as an aide to a member of parliament. His focus was mainly on local community issues in the Kyiv region. But when Russia launched its full-scale invasion, his life, like that of all Ukrainians, changed completely. 17.10.25 21:08 7 676 5 Previously in trend: Drone operators

"I naively thought guitar could make difference. Then I realized you can only make difference by physically eliminating enemy," – Haidamaky guitarist Andrii Slieptsov Haidamaky guitarist Andrii Slieptsov (Slipyi) overestimated the idea of attacking the enemy with music after the full-scale invasion began. And since then, he has been defending Ukraine as a service member. He is currently a UAV operator with the 426th Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion of the Marine Corps, a fighter in the "Couriers of the Apostle Peter" group. 02.10.25 22:20 6 358 9 Previously in trend: Drone operators

"I imagined storming treelines and dugouts, just like guys do," UAV pilot, call sign "Ket" ...She was 20 when she signed a contract with the 110th TDF Brigade. Since then, Kateryna Krepysheva, call sign Ket, has flown first heavy bomber UAVs, then fixed-wing UAVs. She has fought on the Kupiansk, Pokrovsk, and Vuhledar directions, and in Zaporizhzhia and Kursk regions as well as in Sumy region. 22.09.25 23:00 27 001 17 Previously in trend: Women in AFU Drone operators

Call sign Vovk: "Sometimes enemy doesn’t react to drone. You fly, and he either just looks or keeps walking." Today, Pavlo serves as an FPV drone operator with the 25th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. In the military, he is known by the call sign Vovk (Wolf). He came up with it easily, recalling how he used to wear T-shirts with this animal as a child. His comrades sometimes jokingly call him "wolf cub," given his young age, he is 25 years old. 17.09.25 21:59 9 527 3 Previously in trend: Drone operators Drone industry

Together on front line and in life: story of military couple We met in the center of Kyiv that morning, when the right bank was still shrouded in smoke after one of the largest overnight bombardments. Fires were still being extinguished across the city, rescuers were clearing the rubble, and the air was polluted and heavy. And into this grim reality they appeared: beautiful, smiling, and calm. Yaroslav and Yuliia — a young military couple who had consciously put their normal life on hold to defend the country from the enemy. 05.09.25 19:16 12 420 4 Previously in trend: Drone operators

Call sign Tyson: "We saw how Russian commit suicide on live feed" Artem is only 21 but already has experience under his belt that many much older people shouldn’t have to face. He now operates a Vampire hexacopter with the Unmanned Systems Battalion (UBS) "Pathfinder" of the 115th Separate Mechanized Brigade (SMB). Call sign Tyson. He got it because he boxed when he was younger. He could have kept training and tending bar, as he did before the army, but he signed a contract in early 2023. 06.08.25 20:04 7 531 13 Previously in trend: Drone operators

Drone operator Anton Borysevych: If we eliminate fewer than five occupiers in day, I consider it ineffective When you hear a story about a drone operator charging at an enemy tank with a rifle and successfully hitting it, you know you’re dealing with an extraordinary person and warrior. 11.06.25 22:25 7 663 8 Previously in trend: Drone operators

If your actions are well-drilled, there’s high chance of surviving – fighter Oleksii Honcharov Much more about this fighter’s work from Volyn is told by his comrades than by the man himself. In fact, it’s their stories that helped break through his modesty—if only a little. 06.05.25 23:11 5 521 2 Previously in trend: Drone operators Interview with Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers

Commander of "Rarog" Regiment, Oleh Huit: "I was stunned when Russian infantryman advancing on crutches. Obviously, he didn’t make it very far" Major Oleh Huit, call sign Khasan, first observed the use of an unmanned aerial system in Popasna at the beginning of the full-scale war. At the time, he was commanding a mortar battery. Today, he leads the 427th Separate Regiment of Unmanned Systems "Rarog," whose troops specialize in aerial reconnaissance, patrol missions, fire adjustment using UAVs, and deploying strike drones. 21.04.25 19:34 13 748 4 Previously in trend: War Drone operators

FPV drone operator Yeva: "I don’t understand how draft dodgers can live in constant fear that someone will catch and mobilize them" When the full-scale war began, Yeva was still in school. At the age of 18, she signed a contract and set out to destroy the enemy. She has spent a year and a half in the combat zone. She serves as an FPV drone operator in the "Rubizh" Brigade. Her call sign is Yunha. She was recently concussed while heading to a frontline position. While she is undergoing treatment, we had the opportunity to speak with her and record this interview. 17.04.25 22:34 39 104 258 Previously in trend: Drone operators