In the field of drones, Russia is helped by China.
Thanks to close relations, it receives the necessary components faster. We also know what we need, but Ukraine does not have these products. Therefore, we also have to look for them in China, and in our case it takes months.
99% of drones supplied by the state are not ready for combat use.
They are tested, but in hothouse conditions. In combat conditions, the drone takes off, but this is not enough to hit the target. It may not even fly a kilometer. Out of the thousand drones delivered, 900 need to be modified. We have to get rid of combat drones and purchase [what is missing] ourselves. Last month, we spent 2.8 million hryvnias.
One of the advantages of the Russians is the large number of drones.
You can’t just pick up the remote control and fly right away — it’s experience, you have to lose a bunch of drones to gain it. Since they don’t have a shortage of supplies [of drones and components], they don’t worry about every drone. On the contrary, we don’t take risks.
To reduce the Russian advantage in fiber-optic drones, in the Pokrovsky direction we are actively working against crews.
This is dangerous, because without following certain algorithms, you can easily reveal your position. When this happens, the enemy spares nothing — neither guided aerial bombs nor missiles. They are trying to destroy the Ukrainian pilot. For them, this is more valuable than infantry.
If we have the means, we can fly even 100 kilometers [into the enemyʼs rear]. But why?
Now, even at a distance of 20 kilometers, there are many targets that need to be worked on. And when we burn everything on the approaches to 20 kilometers, then we can already talk about a greater distance. There are units that work deep, but we hold our line of defense and are responsible for the entire brigadeʼs strip. And of course, we try to help our neighbors so that the flanks do not collapse.
Anti-drone nets along the roads are effective when they are in perfect condition — stretched, everything works great.
When you drive into a well-made tunnel made of net, a drone wonʼt hit you there. But when the net gets damaged — sags or tears — it starts to get in the way. You canʼt drive that way anymore, especially when there are EWs on the cars.
Any war ends at the negotiating table.
But itʼs not like weʼll give up 5-6 regions now and itʼll be over. This will give them [the Russians] time to gather strength and go on the offensive again — and then our children will be fighting.
I calculated how much a day of war costs using the example of my unit. It is almost 10 million.
This is money to develop, create good conditions and enjoy life. But instead, due to Russiaʼs fault, we are forced to invest it in weapons and war.