STORY: Hairdresser by day – drone hunter by night. His name is Oleksandr Shamshur. Before February 24, 2022, almost exactly a year ago, he worked exclusively as a hairdresser. Now, in wartime, he also performs military duties. And that currently includes controlling the skies over Kiev. Shamshur is proud of his role. “I want to defend people. And not because it’s an obligation, but because I really want to. What else should I do? It didn’t even occur to me to run away or hide somewhere, no. As When the enemy was at the door, I had to do something. I had to defend myself.” His unit, which includes a lawyer and a businessman, responds to airstrike warnings in and around Kiev. They monitor the airspace with a thermal imaging camera and a range finder. They look for Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones and shoot them down with a restored WWII machine gun. They were able to bring two out of the sky in December this way. Shortly after the Russian army invaded, he learned that the military base where he was stationed had been destroyed. Therefore, he joined the territorial defense. However, a piece of everyday life has been preserved. Because he continues to work as a hairdresser. “I’m a very happy person. Why? Because I’m defending my country. I’m defending our Ukrainian people. But at the same time I can come to the hair salon and work here. I can do things I’m good at: cutting hair and with the Talk to customers.” What he wants for the future is peace. But not at any price. It is clear to him that there can only be peace if the Russian army withdraws from the territory of Ukraine. And that is not negotiable for him.