Inside this outdated skydiving aircraft, a crew of Ukrainian volunteers is looking down Russian drones. Russia is sending hundreds of its one-way assault drones into Ukraine each month. Many are shot down, however the nation’s air defenses can’t cease all of them. On the aspect of the fuselage right here, they’ve mounted this American-made machine gun that’s able to firing as much as 3,000 rounds per minute, or 50 rounds per second. They usually’re selecting off drones one after the other. It takes about $500 of ammunition per drone kill — a cut price contemplating that the Iranian-designed Shahed drones are mass-produced for tens of hundreds every, and surface-to-air missiles to counter them can run into the hundreds of thousands. It’s a cheap approach to fight the brand new threats of contemporary warfare. “And got here out proper right here. So somebody’s sitting right here.” “Yeah.” “And that shrapnel got here out proper right here.” For 9 months, Valerey Slipkan has lived on this distant airstrip ready for missions. After shedding his son within the first days of the full-scale invasion, he moved right into a trailer on the touchdown subject, and commenced reworking this outdated skydiving aircraft for conflict. Since mid-2025, Ukraine has allowed and even inspired civilians exempt from navy service to struggle drones. Valerey is the one one within the crew with fight expertise. Though they’re all volunteers, they take their orders from Ukraine’s air protection coordinators. Lengthy waits for missions at a protected home close to the airfield have strengthened their bond as a workforce. Drones aren’t simply probably the most deadly weapon in Ukraine, they’re redefining trendy warfare. This 12 months, Iran responded to Israeli and U.S. assaults by sending waves of drones throughout the Center East. The Gulf’s glitzy cities, as soon as thought-about a protected haven, instantly woke as much as the specter of low cost, however efficient drones. Now, nations are turning to Ukraine for experience — from interceptors to armed helicopter models, its anti-drone arsenal, cast by necessity, is among the many only on this planet. “And so these mark the entire drones that you simply’ve downed?” “Yeah, truly we now have additionally this comma. So you may establish how a lot we did per flight. Valerey’s co-pilot is an aerobatic world champion who as soon as received hundreds of thousands performing seemingly not possible stunts. Timur now flies this Soviet-era AN-28 that had been used as a civilian skydiving aircraft earlier than Russia’s invasion. “Right here’s the door gunner.” Their drone kill rely remains to be only a drop within the bucket in opposition to the tens of hundreds Russia has launched. Nevertheless, Timur sees this experimental unit as a blueprint that Ukraine can scale. He’s constructing his personal private fleet of drone-fighting plane to show a human contact remains to be wanted to kill machines. As a father of 5, he’s additionally exempt from service. However he offered his enterprise and poured his winnings into the undertaking. “You mentioned it’s necessary so that you can shoot this stuff down over unpopulated areas.” “It’s a regulation for us. Typically we now have to accompany it for 5 or seven minutes. Overfly populated space, then we’re capable of shoot it down.” “Would you do that job for those who needed to level your weapon at a human being?” “Properly, I undoubtedly favor to kill machines.” It’s 1 a.m. The workforce will get an alert. Drones have been launched throughout Ukraine. They rush to the airstrip and prepared the aircraft for takeoff. Then they’re informed to face by. “After which it both may very well be command to take off and do the mission, or we now have command standby.” So some nights will be like this. No matter was seen on radar will be misplaced. Or they’re informed to face down and over and over and over. They’ve to do that. They’re on name 24/7. “I’m always reminding myself that it’s good — we’re not flying, it means there’s no huge assaults. It’s exhausting, nevertheless it’s a part of the job.”
