- By James Waterhouse
- Ukraine correspondent in Kherson
January 22, 2024, 00:53 GMT
Updated 1 hour ago
Image source: BBC/Dave Bull
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Located on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, Kherson is now an important part of the front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces
There are few places in Ukraine from which one can see Russian-occupied territories with the naked eye.
The western bank of the Dnipro River in the city of Kherson is one of them.
You can't see the Russian troops on the other low, swampy river bank, but you know they're there.
As we arrive at an abandoned building, the artillery fire is a clear reminder.
Shelling in war is nothing new. But the unit we meet is engaged in one of the key innovations of this invasion: drones.
As we huddle against the side of the building and seek shelter in the stairwell, the freezing winter winds guide us into the warmth of a militarized living room.
The smell of strawberry steam hangs over these Ukrainian soldiers sitting in armchairs with calm looks and cans of Monster energy drink. You can imagine that the floral wallpaper was not her choice.
Image source: BBC/Hanna Chornous
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Soldiers put on headsets to control FPV drones from a building on the western bank of the Dnipro
Artem, a 20-year-old pilot, suddenly sits up. They were told the Russians had launched drones from across the water.
“It comes from a place known to us,” explains Tymur, commander of the Samosud force of the 11th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.
“Our goal is to destroy the pilots. We have the coordinates, so let’s fly there now.”
There are at least a dozen drones on the ground – all loaded with grenades. A cat, the unit's unofficial mascot, snuggles up to one of the propellers.
Image source: BBC/Dave Bull
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Drones are simple, cheap and effective weapons in this war
A drone is brought outside while Artem puts on his VR headset.
We watch on TV as he flies it over the river into occupied territory. From this vantage point there are no obvious signs of life.
A few kilometers later, Artem's drone reaches an industrial area. It passes a warehouse before floating next to a block of flats.
Finally he spots an antenna next to a window in the stairwell and flies straight into it. The screen turns blue. Artem exhales and takes off his headset.
“The first time we did it, it was emotional,” says Artem. “It’s business as usual now.”
“Before, I didn't have enough time to play computer games [the full-scale invasion]. Now I’ll catch up!”
Image source: BBC/Dave Bull
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Drones can fly for miles to find targets on the Russian-occupied side of the river
They launch another drone, but the screen turns blue as soon as it crosses the river. The Russians have activated their jamming system.
A third person then makes the same journey. This time it does it and Artem returns to the apartment block.
He can confirm that the antenna was destroyed. With 10 minutes left on the battery, he flies off to see what else he can discover or destroy.
His unit has targeted a main road used by the Russians to deliver supplies. Civilians are not allowed to drive there, so Ukrainian drone pilots hit anything with wheels.
Artem spots a Russian checkpoint and flies towards it. Unfortunately for him, they use a jamming gun and the screen turns blue as he gets closer. He exhales again.
“No matter how many times we reach the same places, [the Russians] are constantly being refilled,” says Tymur. “They’re kind of fearless.”
With each drone costing around $500 (£396), it's a constant cycle of launch, search and destroy.
However, the returns can be significant. Tymur says his team once destroyed a $136 million S-350 anti-aircraft missile system.
Drones mean the Russians have nowhere to hide within 10 km (six miles) of the front line.
What matters, however, is that the invaders are doing exactly the same thing to the Ukrainians.
Under constant drone surveillance and enemy bombardment, life in Kherson's streets has gradually disappeared. Aside from a limited crossing further up the Dnipro near the town of Krynky, Ukrainian attacks here are exploratory and require patience.
In a snowy park in Kherson we meet a mobile air defense team under an arch. Because of the observation of Russian drones, we are told to move in small groups.
As we move forward in our body armor, the handlers turn away from us with a slightly confused expression.
“My call sign is King,” the deputy commander of the 124th Territorial Defense Brigade says with a punch. They are gathered around a British-registered truck with a .50-caliber machine gun mounted on the back.
“We work around the clock,” he says. “We destroy all types of drones, mainly Iranian-made Shaheds.”
Image source: BBC/Hanna Chornous
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Mobile air defense units in Kherson are constantly on the move to avoid detection
“Russia’s factories are on a military basis. They are constantly expanding their power. At this point she is relentless.”
So does King think Ukrainian forces could cross the river in large numbers this year?
“It’s hard to think about,” he replies. “We’re just doing our job to make sure it happens as quickly as possible.”
With major military packages blocked due to political disagreements in the United States and the European Union, Ukraine must adapt and look inward.
On the outskirts of Kherson, pilots practice drone flights on an icy field with plastic bottles tied underneath them instead of grenades.
Training to become a drone pilot only takes 14 hours. The Ukrainian government is encouraging people to take free training and make drones at home to send to the front lines.
Image source: BBC/Hanna Chornous
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Soldiers say they can qualify as drone pilots in just 14 hours
Through his balaclava, Stitch explains their importance in this war of attrition.
“We are in a battle of technologies, an arms race: who will be the first to invent something, who will put together something cool,” says the drone commander.
It is widely recognized that multiple innovations must now be implemented simultaneously for the front lines to change significantly.
Ukraine's commander-in-chief, General Valerii Zaluzhnyy, told the Economist magazine in November that Russia and Ukraine had “reached the level of technology that puts us in a stalemate.”
The problem for Ukraine was never what was delivered by the allies, but when.
“Aviation was born during World War I,” says Stitch. “Now we begin the future war of drones, which may turn the tide of every war in two decades.”
Additional reporting by Hanna Chornous and Toby Luckhurst