(KRAMATORSK, DONETSK OBLAST) \u2013 Ukrainian interceptor drone units are operating at the heart of modern unmanned warfare near Kramatorsk, just 15 kilometres from the front line, in a relentless effort to shield the city from incoming Russian strike and reconnaissance UAVs.<\/p>\n
Exclusive front line footage obtained by Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty reveals the high pressure environment faced by these teams, whose primary mission is to destroy Russian drones before they reach their targets. The control centre for these operators is situated near Kramatorsk, a key city in eastern Ukraine that remains under Ukrainian control despite persistent Russian attempts to advance.<\/p>\n
The work is constant and unforgiving. In one month alone, a single team logged 87 successful hits against incoming military drones, KAB glide bombs, and Shahed one way attack munitions. The footage documents the full arc of their operations: the initial radar alerts, the scramble to launch interceptors, the visual confirmation of direct hits, and the frustration when targets evade destruction.<\/p>\n
The footage captures the urgency of a typical engagement. \u201cIt is heading toward the town. Come on, here. Gain altitude, about 500 metres,\u201d one operator is heard saying. Ukrainian soldiers had detected a Russian Molniya drone on radar. The Molniya, cheap to produce and deployed in large numbers, is one of the most widely used Russian UAVs on the front line.<\/p>\n
Improved weather conditions have heightened the threat. \u201cThe weather has improved, so now they can actually see where to strike,\u201d the transcript notes. \u201cBefore, there was fog; they had to fly low, which was less effective. Now they can go higher and see more, whether it is a pickup truck or military vehicle. They record it, find the coordinates, and then strike those positions.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the team spots a Russian drone, they use onboard cameras to manoeuvre for a direct hit. The footage shows one such successful interception. Yet the operators are candid about the difficulty of their task. \u201cIs it difficult to hit a drone with an interceptor? It is relatively hard. There are many factors,\u201d one soldier explains. \u201cYesterday we went in for a strike and it looked good, nice explosion, but we did not take it down.\u201d<\/p>\n
The threat to Kramatorsk is multifaceted and growing. Operators report that Russian artillery is already starting to reach the city, with shells landing just outside its boundaries. First person view (FPV) drones using fibre optic control lines, immune to electronic jamming, are flying in freely and striking vehicles the moment they are spotted. Kramatorsk remains one of the few cities in the Donetsk region that Russian forces have not yet captured, situated approximately 15 kilometres from the active front line. During a single five hour shift at the position documented by RFE\/RL, the team intercepted two Russian drones.<\/p>\n
The footage was released by Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty, whose journalists Yevhenia Rusetska and Anna Kudriavtseva followed the drone hunters in Donetsk Oblast.<\/p>\n