Our combat tasks are already being filmed for documentaries. An interview with Serhii "Schweiger" Zhokovin, an aerial scout from the 93rd AFU Separated Mechanised Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar"

FPV drones as a means for destroying the enemy

Even from his teenage years, [I] realised that war was inevitable. In 2016, I spent a short time in a volunteer formation — attended various schools and was interested in weapons and tactical medicine. However, I did not officially serve until 2022 and had nothing to do with drones.

Back in 2016, I saw the military working with drones. Later, I watched a video where the SOF on FPV drones flew to the Russians in their positions and filmed their trenches. Then I had the idea to use a drone not only for reconnaissance: to fill the UAV with shells, fly in one direction and work on enemy positions, which I later put into practice.

It is impossible to understand war without drones. My friend brought a small DJI Mavic 2 drone from Estonia, which he flew to see the situation on the front lines. From that moment, we switched to "Mavic" drones and became an aerial reconnaissance team that adjusted fire on enemy positions. We were the first to use FPV for such purposes.

Drones are changing the course of war

We were sure that drones were handy at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, but we did not think they would change the war's course. We had one or two drones purchased with our funds or donated by volunteers. They were more like "tricks," such as suppressing the firing point or something else.

Drones allow you to see the whole battle picture without sending people to land to see something. Therefore, aerial reconnaissance remains a priority target for destruction.

The Russians use FABs and anti-aircraft missiles.

I heard from some soldiers: "Ah, you are drone ops [operators - Ed.], so they don't shoot at you." They say aerial reconnaissance is a super safe job because we sit in the rear and work from there. No, that's not how it works. For example, Bakhmut had maximum autonomous work and worked around the clock. I slept for three hours and continued to work again.

There are no spills if the enemy ambushes us because direct hits begin. Once, they burned our house, car and mortar ammunition. The Russians did not lag until two houses burned down. We barely managed to escape.

The enemy spends a lot of energy and resources to destroy Ukrainian groups of UAVs of the reconnaissance or strike type. They do not spare guided missiles or high-explosive aerial bombs to wipe us off the face of the earth.

The behaviour of the Russian army on the front line

They have repeatedly seen Russians self-destruct. That week, such a case was observed when a wounded Russian crawled into a funnel from a 120-caliber shell or mortar mine. He lay down, lay down and “fell out”.

There was also a situation when the enemy pretended to be a tree and did not move. They often pretend to be dead. We see who is left alive, thanks to the drone hovering over them for 30 minutes. Then, we fly up with drones and do our job.

The bother-in-arms was flying a drone, and we were looking at "Niva" standing on the road between two villages. Unfortunately, the Russians saw the FPV flying and left the machine in time.

Two days later, a video of the same "Niva" appears on the Russian Telegram channel. They film it on their phone and say that an enemy drone flew in and smashed all the equipment.

Unusual use of drones in war

Fleeing from the occupiers, a civilian couple entered the battle line during the fierce fighting near Izium in the summer of 2022. Russian soldiers shot their car with a machine gun. The couple remained trapped by the Russians. Our aerial scout and company commander came up with an idea: they took a piece of paper, wrote "Follow me" on it, flew up with a drone and took them to safe positions. Lubomyr Levytskyi made a documentary about this rescue operation.

Later, we took out medics in Soledar in this way: When our medevac fired at them, they broadcast on the radio: "The drone will fly up soon; follow it."

Also, enemy UAVs and walkie-talkies were taken away with the help of drones. A rope with a magnet at the bottom was tied to our drone. We took a walkie-talkie and a drone from the field from Russian positions on breastwork . We must attach a half-ton magnet to pick up the mortars (laughs—ed.).

Air scout loses two or three drones a day in Bakhmut

We need all drone models because they are lost in large quantities. A drone is a full-fledged firearm that some people underestimate. We and Russkies try to shoot it down immediately if we see a drone in flight,

Air reconnaissance performs a crucial task — adjusting artillery or monitoring infantry. In the work dynamics, you don't always have time to control the wind's or battery charge's direction and strength.

One aerial scout in Bakhmut lost two or three drones a day. They are shot down, lost or suppressed by EW means.

FPV and Mavic are delicate because they are for a hobby, not fighting. Antennas break or do not fit specific frequencies. Everything has to be finished. I sit in position, two kilometres from the enemy, with a soldering iron and change the radio receiver. It is always necessary to improve something. Light repairs are carried out at the positions; we generally send them to the service.

A million drones a year for our military is a significant number that will change a lot. However, drones must be made for military purposes, with repeaters and protected frequencies. And the main thing is that they should not be the same type because the Russians will find a countermeasure to them. If a million drones are on civilian frequencies, it will not give a significant result.

Does the Ukrainian army need "People's drones"?

"People's drones" made by civilians at home are ridiculous. Drones should be unified and able to change something without buying additional controllers, boards, circuits, etc. The home-made drone has a lot of defects due to poor soldering and connections. Even when screwing in a regular camera, a person can break the thread, and the camera will not work.

We are forced to refine the "People's Drones" to meet the requirements of combat missions, and this takes time and resources. Home-made drones need much more time. And you're still worried about whether he will take off on the way out.

Ukrainian aerial scouts destroy enemy positions.

In Klishchiivka, when they were terrorising the front of the Russians, we intercepted their conversation. The Russian says: "FPVs tear us down". His company commander responds, "You don't make it up. You can't tell me how many [cause] they don't have."

The Russians outnumber us in terms of personnel. I think we are on the same level in technological and engineering terms.

There was never a feeling that victory would go to the Russians

If the human resource of the Russian Federation is reduced by at least three or four times, I think we would have carried out and won the war based on our character. Our only problem is their large resource of weapons and men. For some Ukrainians, it is still news that they should take up arms and defend their land. The war has been going on for the tenth year. We learned to fight, and so did they.

I never had the feeling that the Russians would win. However, I communicate with the military from different directions and know what the situation is in others. In places, it is not comforting. And I start digging in my head, and sometimes it slips that we won't win. However, I am deeply confident that we will win. Only people should also "move" and not be afraid of subpoenas.

What do the Russians need to realise what they have done? Maybe in Russia, people will be a little pissed off when they have a dead person in almost every family. They will ask themselves, "What did he fight for?" Well, really, for what? Ukrainians are also dying, but we know that we are going to defend our land.

A lot sticks in my head when something doesn't work out: "You weren't as helpful today as you could have been." Combat morale rises when the enemy is usually put under the ass.

We destroyed all enemy vehicles in one of the directions. They [Russians - Ed.] on interceptions that they don't have a "bukhanka" to transport fighters or ammunition. They have one car left for the battalion. Then, I think that moments like these bring us closer to victory.

Peaceful life is postponed as long as Russia exists

Civilians should get along with the military. Two years of war is not much on the scale of a person's life, but during that time, people were exhausted. The military saw deaths and serious injuries. I noticed from my brothers-in-arms who serve in the infantry how morally exhausted they are. This is reflected in everything.

After the war, I plan to have a peaceful family life, raise children and build a house in the forest for a veteran couple to go fishing with their brothers. Unfortunately, all this is now being postponed.