report
They spend days crouching in basements and operating deadly weapons. The men of a Ukrainian drone unit live in constant fear of being discovered. But their fear is especially great of something else: a ceasefire.
A buzzing sound in the air often means certain death on the front lines in Ukraine. It comes from small so-called FPV drones. First person view, controlled by glasses, like in a video game. It is a manhunt on both sides of the front..
The cheap drones, loaded with explosives, destroy Not only military technology worth millions – they also tear individual people to pieces.
Only at the front at night
The Ukrainian soldier with the code name “Calvados” accepts this with a shrug: “We are not killing people, but the enemy who is occupying our country and killing our people and us. The Russians are not squeamish either. They are crazy. It is not easy to fight against them.”
The Russian soldiers often put up fierce resistance, reports “Calvados”. The 28-year-old and his comrades only move around the front at night so that the Russian drone pilots do not discover him.
“If we are discovered, we are finished”
The team then spends days in a basement somewhere in the combat zone and flies drone after drone into Russian tanks, Russian positions or Russian soldiers. On this day, “Calvados” explains to a group of newcomers how to best hunt down the enemy. The need for recruits is great.
“We are a target of the highest priority. If we are discovered, we are finished,” warns “Calvados” them. “Then we will be attacked as fiercely as possible. Until the house above us is burned down or half the forest around us is destroyed. That is why our task is so dangerous. If you reveal where you are, you will have a damn problem.”
To escape the fear of death, they make jokes, explains the soldier. The most important thing is not to panic during operations. But the losses of the Ukrainian army are high, admits “Calvados”.
“Armistice allows enemy to replenish resources”
But despite the suffering, the men of the unit fear a ceasefire, explains company commander Anton: “If we now theoretically agree to some kind of ceasefire or something like that, then we are only enabling the enemy to replenish its resources. As long as we have political fluctuations such as delays in arms deliveries, the enemy will use that to replenish its resources.”
Anton is convinced that Russia could then impose its conditions on Ukraine and annex further parts of the country. The war will only end when one side is no longer able to fight, when resources run out.
Currently, observers agree, it is more likely that Ukraine is the one in the situation. It is dependent on Western arms deliveries and has far fewer soldiers at its disposal.
Anton agrees: “There is a complete lack of personnel, as the enemy is in the majority in terms of population. The Russians also have a total lead in technology, weapons, artillery, missiles and in the air. So the Russians will not stop.” That is why Ukraine cannot stop either, say Anton and his comrades.
“We need a lot of people, but even more weapons”
Surveys show that most people in Ukraine still firmly believe in victory – but confidence is waning. Only a few men are volunteering to serve in the army.
This is also due to the slow delivery of weapons from the West, says soldier Calvados: “There are enough people if we recruit them. The only question is what we should fight with. We have too few weapons and ammunition to inflict maximum damage on the enemy. We need a lot of people, but even more weapons.”
Weapons and diplomacy are not opposites – this is also the conclusion reached by researchers at the Hamburg Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy. Russia, according to the institute’s current peace report, will only enter into negotiations if it continues to be put under pressure militarily and with sanctions.