Wipe and Energy. As the Dronovodes of the Armed Forces hunt behind the pilots of the Armed Forces from the right shore in Kherson (photo)
Although the military personnel themselves from the occupying group of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on another swampy bank of the river not to see, it is known that they are there. The fire of artillery and abandoned buildings serve as a visual reminder. In a warm equipped room, Ukrainian defenders sit, hiding from the icy winter wind. The room smells of strawberry vype, and dronovis with focused views sit in chairs, near the jars of energy drink.
According to Artem's 20-year-old pilot, they have to eliminate Russian drones. Timur, a detachment commander of the "Land" of the 11th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, explained that sometimes enemy drones are launched from known places. In the premises of at least a dozen drones filled with grenades. The cat (unofficial mascot of the unit) walks here, lays his nose into one of the UAV propellers.
The journalists were shown on the screen how the launching drone flies across the river into the occupied territory. He flew several kilometers to the industrial zone, above the warehouse and hanged next to the apartment building. In the end, the pilot noticed the antenna next to the window on the stairwell and flew directly into it. The screen became blue. The pilot Artem exhaled and removed the headset. "When we did it first, there were emotions. Now it is everyday life," he explained.
"I used to have enough time to play computer games before. Now I'm getting up!" Sometimes drones overcome kilometers in search of goals on the occupied Russian Federation. During the launch, another screen became blue: as soon as the Uaks crossed the river, the Russians turned on the suppression system. The third flew the same route, and he managed to confirm that the antenna was destroyed. In the rest of 10 minutes, the drone battery was looking for targets.
One of the goals of the Lyaruda unit is the main road to which the supply of occupation groups of troops is. Civil people are forbidden there, so Ukrainian drones are trying to destroy everything that is moving. Artem noticed the Russian checkpoint and flew to it, but unfortunately, Russian troops used the device of the HR, and when the drone approached, the screen faded. "No matter how many times we beat in the same places, the Russians restore everything.
They are not afraid or what," Timur explained. Each drone costs about $ 500 - a constant cycle of launch, search and destruction. But attachments in drones are justified. Timur said that once his team managed to destroy the S-350 SPR, the cost of which was estimated at $ 136 million. Due to the activity of Ukrainian drones for Russians it is dangerous to stay within 10 km from the front line. The invaders respond to the same.
Under the constant supervision of enemy drones on the streets of Kherson, gradually extinguished. In addition to crossing through the Dnieper near the village of Krynka, Ukrainian attacks here are only test. A mobile air defense group is located in the snow -covered Kherson park. "My call sign is King," the deputy commander of the 124th TRI brigade introduced. A group of artillerymen gathered around a 50 mm -registered truck in the UK registered in the UK.
In order not to be detected, the mobile air defense crews in Kherson have to constantly be in motion. "We work 24/7," he explained. "We destroy all kinds of drones, mostly" shahda "of Iranian production. Russian plants have been put on military rails. Constantly increasing capacity. When asked whether significant units of the Armed Forces can cross the river this year, he replied that it is difficult to think about it. "We just do our job to happen as soon as possible," he added.
On the icy field in the outskirts of Kherson pilots, the flights of drones with plastic bottles attached to them instead of grenades are worked out. It takes at least 14 hours of practice to get the qualification of the pilot-pilot. The Ukrainian government urges citizens to join free training, as well as to make drones at home and send to the front. Under the balaclava, which hides the face, the sew spoke about the importance of these devices.
"We are involved in the battle of technology, arms racing: who will invent something first, collect something cool," the Ukrainian defender explained. It is estimated that several simultaneous innovations are required to change the front line. "Aviation was born in the First World War. Now we started the future wars of drones, which in twenty years may change the ratio of power on the battlefield," he said.