The secret lives of Ukraine's deep-strike drone team
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Encrypted communications, wives and children in the dark, and spending only in cash — the Ukrainian soldiers behind brazen long-range drone strikes on Russia live their lives almost completely in the shadows. The retaliatory attacks on Russian military sites and oil refineries they carry out have embarrassed President Vladimir Putin, who four years ago thought he could capture Kyiv in a matter of days. The price they pay, though, is almost complete secrecy. Servicemen from the 7th Battalion of the “Madyar’s Birds” brigade operate mid-range drones from an underground control room at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on May 15, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. —AFP/File Denys, whose name has been changed, has been taking part in the strikes since 2025. But his friends and even parents have no idea, thanks to the ultra-strict rules in his unit. “Don’t draw attention to yourself, don’t brag. You’ll never be able to talk about what you’ve done, even after the war,” he told AFP in a rare interview by a member of the top-secret team. A former marine, he serves at Centre No. 1 of Ukraine’s drone forces. His unit has carried out major attacks on Russia, including a June strike on a Moscow oil refinery that released thick black smoke over the Russian capital, and on Saint Petersburg as a landmark international conference opened there. A serviceman from the 7th Battalion of the “Madyar’s Birds” brigade operates a mid-range drone from an underground control room at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on May 15, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. —AFP/File Kyiv calls the hits fair retribution for Moscow’s nightly barrages of its own cities and is targeting fuel depots and refineries on a weekly basis, trying to cut off Moscow’s energy revenues. The stakes, Denys said, mandate the secrecy. “We are a very high-value and priority target for the enemy.” ‘Flight mode’ The names and ages of those in the unit are kept secret. It is impossible to photograph or film