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AS explosions rock a Russian electronics factory vital to Vladimir Putin’s war machine, Ukraine’s elite strike force celebrates another successful hit.
It is the latest strike from the Raid 413 Regiment – who have just destroyed the Kremniy El electronics factory in Bryansk.
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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said British Storm Shadow missiles were used, with Russian authorities saying it killed six and injured 42.
Footage of the strike, which took place in March, was shared on the regiment’s Instagram page, where violent explosions are spliced with rock music.
More than 10,000 followers are regularly updated with PoV footage of drones hurtling into Russian tanks, facilities, helicopters and planes.
Ukrainian media is also awash with reports of their success, most recently wiping out enemy air defence.
In April, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces shared footage of joint mission with Raid 413 in which they struck an oil refinery in Kstovo.
According to the military branch’s commander, the drones blasted one of Russia’s largest oil refineries – sparking more than 20 explosions.
The regiment, which was established in 2024, has also destroyed a North Korean-manufactured missile launcher.
Ukrainian forces boasted that they had suppressed a weapon with a range of 60km.
They also took part in an incursion in Kursk where North Korean soldiers were killed, according to Unmanned Systems Forces.
But behind their success lies a little known drone facility where Ukraine’s troops are taught how to strike targets.
The facility, which we have chosen not to name or picture, has trained more than 600 soldiers and teaches personnel the basics of drones, including how to dismantle and piece them back together.
Training is then advanced to operating drones, flying exams and how to engage targets with FPV drones as accurately as possible from heights, while avoiding detection.
Working there as a drone training instructor is David Pshenychnyi, 23, who rushed home from his freshman year of university in Poland the morning Vladimir Putin’s invasion began from around 4am, four years ago.
He had woken up to messages from friends and family who had been frantically sending him the news, before he returned to Vinnytsia, where his family has since become accustomed to Russian strikes.
Soon after he left to work at the facility, and now lives on his own nearby.
Speaking of the Bryansk attack, he told The Sun: “We played a key role in this, as it would have been impossible without the reconnaissance provided by these drones and the personnel we trained, as well as the fire direction and destruction monitoring.
“No other means than a drone could approach so close to a selected target located far behind enemy lines. The most effective and successful operators were selected to carry out these operations.”
He added: “Our primary goal is to teach drone control from the ground up. This allows anyone with a typical career to become a successful drone operator.
“We teach both basic and more advanced drone control. Our students must pass exams that include challenging flying exercises. It’s a drone-specific obstacle course.
“We also teach how to engage targets with FPV drones as accurately as possible, from various heights, distances, and the density of buildings and vegetation.
“Those who need to acquire surveillance drone skills also have specific exercises and tasks, as their mission is to effectively observe the battlefield or an individual target for subsequent destruction.
“They must do this without being detected, preventing the enemy from taking action.”
But four years after returning home, he has lost loved ones in a war President Volodymyr Zelensky says has cost Ukraine 55,000 lives. Other estimates put the death toll much higher.
He suspects his uncle, a grenade launcher, is among them after he went missing defending the village of Kopteve, in Donetsk Oblast.
Pshenychnyi added: “The last thing we know about him is that from the position he and his colleague were in, they destroyed two Russians.
“After a couple days this village was captured by the Russians and it is still not known what happened to him. We do not know whether he is in captivity or whether he is dead.
“He has two children. I will try and find out what happened because I cannot forget about him.”
Pshenychnyi says morale is “still high” but that soldiers in Ukraine are desperate for more support after Donald Trump went to war with Iran in February.
Pshenychnyi said: “During the early stages of the war, we did feel significant support from other countries, both in terms of international statements and actions.
“But with each passing year, this support is dwindling, and with new conflicts, our war is becoming less of a priority for the world.
“Trump’s recent statements that he will cut aid are particularly disappointing.”
He added: “When the military conflict broke out in Iran, and the US asked Ukraine to send Ukrainian specialists to protect the airspace of US and allied military bases, we sent several of our professional teams to do just that.
“But when Russia attacked us in 2022, we asked the US and NATO to do the same, close our airspace, and were rebuffed. But now we are protecting them.”
Upon arriving in the Middle East to help US soldiers, he said Ukrainian personnel were left shocked by their allies using such expensive weaponry to take down cheap Iranian drones.
He also fears the repercussions the war could have on their fight against Russia, with prices already surging.
He added: “Regarding the impact of the war in Iran on Ukraine, like many countries, we have seen a sharp rise in fuel and gas prices, and consequently, some food products.
“It’s also possible that military aid to Ukraine could be reduced, because America and NATO need these same resources, equipment and ammunition, especially air defense systems.
“Our soldiers have once again proven our value, more than 200 of our instructors were sent to the combat zone to assist NATO countries with air defense.
“Our instructors were shocked by what American soldiers do – they can fire up to 8 Patriot missiles at a single ‘Shahed’ drone, which is very inexpensive, while one Patriot missile costs about $3 million (£2.5m).
“They also often use SM-6 missiles, costing $6 million (£4.4m) , from ships to shoot down a $70,000 (£52k) drone.
“There are already known sad cases where such cheap drones destroyed AN/FPS-132 early warning radars costing around $1billion (£741,000) and an air defense radar costing $300million (£222m) because they did not change their position for a long time and remained visible.”
He added: “From what I could notice, due to the decrease in attention to Ukraine, we began to receive less weapons, including critically few means of anti-aircraft defense for peaceful cities, we have almost run out of these means.”
Sadly for Pshenychnyi, losing friends has been a part of the last four years of his life.
Recently he was on a break in London, where he met The Sun, and felt the true impact of the war had not been felt.
He added: “I often visit my friends in hospitals and see destroyed buildings and dead people after shelling by Russian drones and rockets.
“In Kyiv, if you drive a car through, you see so many destroyed buildings. I have lost many friends and everyone here has lost someone in this war.
“I think if you are a young Ukrainian or a middle-aged Ukrainian, you must do something to help win this war because if you don’t do something you can’t say I want to win this war, I want peace.
“When I visit London I see people who don’t understand what happened in the world. They can understand this only when Russian drones come here.”
For now though, the war continues to rumble on with no end in sight.
At the weekend, Russia and Ukraine accused each other of breaking a US-brokered ceasefire after broader efforts to end the conflict had failed.
Trump said on Friday the three-day ceasefire would run from May 9 to May 11, but just hours later both sides accused each other of breaking terms with drone strikes.
Pshenychnyi says allies must increase their support to Ukraine or, one day, Russia will eventually occupy the land.
He says he feels sceptical of any deal reached for peace, with guarantees Russia won’t attack Ukraine again being essential.
Pshenychnyi added: “Western democracies should understand that every cent, less than $1, invested in our defence capability is $10 invested in the prospects of security for decades to come.
“We can fight the Russians with more quality if European and other Western countries give us more weapons, like anti-aircraft systems.
“Last year Russia gained 0.8 per cent of our territory, so Russia needs more than 100 years to occupy all Ukrainian territory.
“If we do the math, it would take over 100 years to occupy all of Ukraine.
“But for now, we can’t look into the future and don’t know what new weapons will be developed or how progress will proceed in the military sphere and international solutions.
“Of course, this figure and duration depends on the amount of aid that our foreign partner countries increase or decrease.”
English (US) · 