Good morning to readers, Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.
As nighttime falls, anti-drone units fan out around Kyiv to hunt for incoming Shahed drones.
Due to high cost of Patriot interceptors, they've turned to low tech, low cost methods to track they targets: WWII-era tools...
Sometimes, when he walks down the street and finds himself in complete silence, soldier Kostiantyn Chernyshov starts to hear a Shahed drone humming nearby.
It’s Kostiantyn’s job to be alert.
While most Ukrainians shelter inside during Russian attacks, he is part of a unit who head towards the drones.
In a war with satellites, drones and lasers, his tools would be at home in World War II:
he tries to shoot them down with just a machine gun.
Mobile Air Defense Fire Teams were created even before the full-scale invasion, and from the first days of the ‘great war’ started to implement their life-saving skills.
They use a simple military vehicle, equipped with a machine gun to bring the Russian drones down.
Kostiantyn and his Mobile Air Defense Fire Team work virtually seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and can be called to shift at any time.
As soon as the order comes that they have to leave, they have only minutes to ready.
"We are given a certain amount of time during the day to prepare for night work. During the day we can sleep an extra 4 hours, and sometimes an extra hour of sleep gives us a lot. The body has already adapted," Kostiantyn said.
The first thing the Mobile Air Defense Fire Group receives is an order to go out.
Usually, this happens before the air raid alert starts in the #Kyiv region.
It is very difficult to shoot down a drone.
It is often the case that several Mobile Air Defense Fire Teams are working to take down a single drone.
The key is to hit the engine, propeller, or front end to set off the missile.
Teams like Kostiantyn’s are constantly on the move, part of a network of air defense in Ukraine that tries to create an umbrella to protect civilians.
And on most nights they are able to shoot down most of what #Russia sends their way.
NEWS OF THE DAY:
US: KYIV UNLIKELY TO REGAIN MOMENTUM UNTIL 2025
According to The Washington Post, several U.S. officials believe Kyiv has no real recourse to taking back the conquered territory without dealing with manpower issues.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/04/27/us-aid-ukraine-russia-what-comes-next/
RUSSIA DETAINS JOURNALISTS WHO HELPED NAVALNY:
Two Russian journalists were arrested over the weekend for allegedly helping prepare materials for Navalny's YouTube channel.
U.S. SUPPLIED GLIDE BOMBS DID NOT WORK:
The United States sent modified glide bombs to #Ukraine back in January with a 100-mile range.
The experiment was a resounding failure due to electromagnetic interference and mud, admit Pentagon officials.
To read the entire article and to support our work on the ground, follow along with our team through the link.
https://www.counteroffensive.news/p/nighttime-with-ukraines-drone-hunting
Thank you for your support!
Tim Mak
