«They evacuated us when there were about 500 meters left to the enemy positions, and when we had just taken up our positions, the Russians were about five kilometers away», – Alexander recounts about his baptism of fire — a fighter of the 153rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, a UAV operator-gunner (UAV).
Now the unit is stationed in Alexander’s small homeland: he is from Kherson.
And it all began for him in the… 1980s, when the British released the home computer ZX Spectrum to the market. In the early ’90s one of these computers appeared in Alexander’s family. This machine with 128 kilobytes of RAM and the ability to use not just a rare, even non-antique 5.25-inch floppy disk, but an ordinary audiocassette, was at that time a technological wonder on the territory of the former USSR. Alexander, even as a child, played on this computer «F-16 Combat Pilot» — a flight-simulator game for a fighter jet.
Thus the dream of becoming a pilot appeared, which at first was unattainable due to the boy’s poor health, and then, although only partially, was realized when as an adult Alexander went to defend Ukraine from Russian aggression.
Into the army – «by announcement»
«I joined the army by announcement» — such a joking chevron Alexander wears. He was mobilized at the end of 2024. Before that he lived and worked in Kyiv.
«For the first time, – the serviceman says, – I went to the enlistment office in February 2022. But then they told me: «We’ve got loads of people like you here, go away». Besides, they looked at my health. And in 2024 I came to update my details. I thought I’d remain a civilian and keep working. Yeah, “updated”! At the enlistment office they didn’t even bother to update anything, they just sent me. It turned out I was needed».
Alexander says that the unmanned systems unit is just what he needs, because, first, he has certain skills working with electronics (even as a child he rewired joysticks from eight-bit game consoles for use with a computer), and, second, such a service is almost the only place where he can be useful given his state of health.
He says that the first deployment to the combat zone — in January 2025 in Donetsk region — lasted three weeks: «There were: three crews of “Mavic operators” (operators of DJI Mavic drones, – MOST)», my crew were FPV guys (First Person View (a view from the first person) – a system that allows the operator to control the drone as if he himself is in the air, – MOST). There was also infantry, but we hardly saw them. And a few times neighbours flew in, adjacent crews supported us».
It was then that the drone crews were evacuated, when the enemy advanced so close that there was about half a kilometer left to their positions.
The war changed in just a few months
Now the 153rd Separate Mechanized Brigade is in Kherson region. And Alexander now serves near Kherson, where he was born and spent part of his life, and where his mother still lives.
Asked whether the nature of combat has changed recently, and if so how, the serviceman says the changes are more than noticeable: «In the less than a year that I’ve served, the war has changed very dramatically. Not long ago we could operate five kilometers into Russian positions and practically never saw enemy drones. The Russians hit us mostly with artillery, mortars, and aviation. And now enemy drones — both reconnaissance and strike — fly up to 10 kilometers onto our side».
Alexander said that for his crew the priority targets are enemy equipment and fortification works. They practically do not hunt for enemy personnel, because Russian soldiers hide in thickets where striking them with drones is very difficult.
An important component of the FPV drone operator-gunner’s service is training. They train using Liftoff®: FPV Drone Racing — a computer game, a drone-racing simulator that allows users to control virtual drones, and, using their own drones — real ones.
Alexander says he bought a drone and its control system for 7 thousand hryvnias specifically for such training, to hone his skills.
When he has the opportunity, which does not happen often, the serviceman goes to Kherson to visit his mother. He says the city strikes him with its emptiness: «I once even saw traffic jams on some streets, and now because of the war the city’s population is like in some village. It’s sad».