The men behind the drones: on the battlefield with a UAV operator

The life of a drone operator is much more dangerous than many people believe. Combat in the field requires operators in the field, and they are often the number one target on the battlefield. Tishna is one such operator, but for him, the work is routine, even if dangerous. ‘At night, navigating can be the trickiest thing,’ says Tishna. Satellites are jammed, and too much light would give away position, so the drone’s thermal camera and a soldier’s dead reckoning have to suffice. ‘If it’s your first time, you’ll get lost,’ he says. His target is a group of infantry moving through the trees, and his drone is armed with VOG-25 high explosive grenades. But as soon as his ‘bird’ flies, all eyes will be on him, especially Ukrainian artillery. In this exclusive report, we shadow a drone operator as he flies his drone right into the heart of battle.