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Dive inside Ukraine’s top-secret drone command! We chat with a battalion commander about deep strikes, wild tactics, and how Ukraine stays one step ahead. Ever wondered what it takes to launch hundreds of drones behind enemy lines? This is your front-row seat! Hit subscribe for more real frontline stories and let us know in the comments which part blew your mind! #Ukraine #Drones #War #Military #Innovation
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@xaviertytelman
0:00 - Introduction to Deep Strikes
1:16 - Ukraine's Flexibility and Feedback Cycle
2:21 - Operational Lessons and Planning
4:10 - Countermeasures and Drone Production Secrecy
6:10 - Target Selection and Strike Logistics
8:20 - Unit Culture, Danger, and Skills
12:29 - Wider Strategy and Need for Support
16:47 - Military Funding, Morale, and International Aid
We are now available on Spotify! Listen now https://open.spotify.com/show/6KW2Zo9GU39VZSvv2zIpxM
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@xaviertytelman
0:00 - Introduction to Deep Strikes
1:16 - Ukraine's Flexibility and Feedback Cycle
2:21 - Operational Lessons and Planning
4:10 - Countermeasures and Drone Production Secrecy
6:10 - Target Selection and Strike Logistics
8:20 - Unit Culture, Danger, and Skills
12:29 - Wider Strategy and Need for Support
16:47 - Military Funding, Morale, and International Aid
We are now available on Spotify! Listen now https://open.spotify.com/show/6KW2Zo9GU39VZSvv2zIpxM
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NewsTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome to Ukraine, where we have the honor of being hosted today by the first
00:04separate center dedicated to strikes deep inside Russia, mainly with drones. And today we are
00:10lucky to have a commander from the 1st Battalion, 1st Battalion, 1st Battalion. Hi, nice to meet you.
00:17First, here's my first question. What do you call deep strikes? Because, you know,
00:21from the French point of view, 300 km is really very far. So what do you call a deep strike?
00:27If we compare with France, does France consider 300 km to be a deep strike? Well, actually,
00:34for us, we already had this 300 km capability in 2022. And by the end of 2022, we were already
00:41reaching 500 km. So now, well, you have to understand that both in terms of technology and
00:48range, there have been some very significant improvements. Because as you can imagine,
00:54modern warfare, technological warfare requires constant improvements. And that's why we have
01:01no choice but to keep evolving, to keep looking ahead. Because a system that works today might
01:06fail completely in two or three months. And what makes Ukraine strong today, what sets us apart
01:11from other countries, for example, if we compare ourselves with our enemy as well, well,
01:18that Russia is a very bureaucratic, very regulated country, whereas Ukraine is more flexible. And we
01:24stay in constant contact with all the manufacturers of these long-range systems.
01:29There are many options, so we can choose the one that best fits our needs.
01:36And when we start working with the producers, we give them direct feedback, they listen to us,
01:43they improve their system. And this model of possibility is always more effective. As for
01:49the damage we've inflicted on the enemy, it depends on the requirements we've given them.
01:55So, do you feel that this rapid cycle of feedback and improvement is one of the keys to Ukrainian
02:00success, if we compare the methods with what's being done in Europe or, for example, in Russia?
02:05And it's 100% thanks to the very rapid feedback we can provide, and then their ability to react and
02:11adapt. Ukraine has a large number of companies that provide different types of systems and weapons.
02:16And that is clearly 100% the reason for our success.
02:20If we look back now, at the way you achieved such results, what would you identify as your
02:26main mistake? And if you had to start from scratch today, what would you change then?
02:33If we look back, obviously, the first point is that, unfortunately, we can't change it.
02:38But, of course, we certainly would have acted differently.
02:44From that perspective, a single command center should take every aspect of the war into account,
02:50FPV tactical drones on the front line,
02:55the front strikes, the middle strikes, and then there would also be the naval side,
03:00missile components, and everything related to autonomous systems.
03:05And at that point, we could really carry out all the operations that the high command assigns to us.
03:13And that means you need this whole variety of systems. Exactly.
03:18So that means that today you need to carry out complex missions with a lot of very different
03:23equipment at the same time in order to be able to accomplish your mission. It's not just a drone going
03:29from point A to point B. So that drones, which have a very long range, can reach their target.
03:37Well, actually, we have to carry out maneuvers to be able to get around the different layers of enemy
03:42defense, as well as their electronic warfare. And that's really a matter of tactics.
03:48We need different types of drones and systems to succeed in reaching these objectives.
03:53But the first objective that comes up is to go from point A to point B.
03:58But if it's well prepared, if there's good planning with all the systems we have,
04:03then at that point, we'll succeed. But it needs to be well planned using the available tools.
04:10Earlier, you mentioned electronic warfare. Are the Russians able to prevent you from working,
04:15or do you always stay one step ahead? Are you always a step ahead?
04:20Russia is also learning. Just as we make progress, they make progress too.
04:25For example, if we look at what Ukraine is doing now to counter the Shahed drones,
04:30to counter the missiles, well, if Ukraine had the same level of technology as it has achieved today,
04:35Ukraine would be in great difficulty. That's why Ukraine needs to constantly modernize.
04:41We adapt our technologies, and that's what the Russians are doing as well.
04:44And that's really an important point that I've already mentioned in the past.
04:48We really need to always stay at least half a step ahead of our enemy at all times.
04:53That way, we understand what kind of response Russia will give us,
04:57and we constantly adapt both our technologies and our tactics.
05:01I'd also like to talk about the issue of volume, of quantity. Can you give a range for the number
05:06of
05:06your strikes? We know, for example, that the company Firepoint produces more than 100 very long-range
05:12FPV drones every day. Can you estimate the number of very long-range drones you send into Russia each
05:18day or, for example, each week?
05:23Actually, Firepoint is just one drone manufacturer in Ukraine, among others.
05:28For example, we could also mention Yuki.
05:33So, of course, I couldn't say how many. Well, the other drone manufacturers actually produce every day.
05:39If Firepoint says they can produce 100 drones a day, that's a very good thing.
05:45I know Firepoint well. They're excellent manufacturers.
05:48And you can say that it's a company that's very attentive to user feedback.
05:53In any case, I won't tell you the number of drones we actually launch each day,
05:58simply because that's a military-level secret.
06:04Hundreds per day, in any case?
06:06Let's put it that way.
06:07Or a few hundred.
06:08I can't confirm.
06:10When you have drones at your disposal that can go, for example, 2,000 kilometers,
06:15that means the drone will have to take detours to avoid protected areas or air defense systems.
06:20And in reality, the actual operational distance for carrying out strikes is
06:24shorter than the drone's theoretical range. Isn't that right?
06:28Yes, you have to understand that when we talk about a distance of 2,000 kilometers in reality,
06:32it's not a straight line. The actual distance is reduced because of the route and the detours
06:38that the drones will have to take before reaching their final target.
06:42I wish we had drones with a range of 3,000 to 4,000 kilometers. Absolutely.
06:46I would also like us to talk about the unseen side of the work, the unseen decisions.
06:52How do you choose your targets? Did the SBU or that kind of unit assign that directly to you?
06:57Kind of thing? How does it work? So we're not talking about cooperation with the SBU in Ukraine.
07:03Generally speaking, we're more likely to talk about the broader strategic direction set by the general
07:09staff. The general staff with its vision, with its high level strategy, they need to have an overall
07:15view of the battlefield with a complete picture. So they are the ones who will directly define the targets.
07:20So for us, in the end, it's not the SBU, it's not the GORE, it's not the foreign intelligence services,
07:26it's really our general staff. And if the general staff decides that we need to coordinate with someone
07:32else, for example, with the SBU or representatives from the different services we've already mentioned.
07:38So obviously we will all work together, but the main directions are always set by the general staff.
07:43When you organize a long-range strike with dozens, groups of 50, or even hundreds of drones at the
07:50same time, do all these drones have the same mission? Do you send decoys, a wave of explosive
07:56drones, a wave of repeaters for communication, a wave for electronic warfare? You can't answer my
08:01question. It was a good question. Still, I understand. Where were you trying to lead me? I want to know
08:09how you
08:09use decoys, how you use the whole ecosystem. What are the tactics for being effective?
08:15But unfortunately, let's say that I won't be able to refute or confirm your assumptions.
08:20And how does someone become a good soldier in your unit? Is it a matter of being a gamer?
08:25Do you have to go through special forces training like you? In the past, was there a particular mindset?
08:32Well, come on, come on. I'll put it this way.
08:36You don't really need to be a gamer or have a special forces background.
08:40But what I can say is that when I look at the members of our unit, and especially those who
08:45are
08:45part of the first detachment, those who make up the core of this unit, these are people who have
08:51accompanied me, who joined this team with me, so most of them are indeed former special forces
08:57personnel like me. But really, the most important thing for me is that they must be true patriots of
09:03their country that they truly want to support Ukraine. And they really need to be proactive.
09:09They shouldn't just be reactive. For example, in our case, we won't stifle initiative and creativity.
09:15On the contrary, if someone is right, if they have an idea that's rational and good,
09:20we'll always listen to them and try to put it into practice.
09:25So, as I said, being a patriot is really the key, but there's also honesty, responsibility,
09:31and then intelligence. And overall, really, any type of person can fit in.
09:37You know, when we look at all this from France, when we observe your operations, we think,
09:42okay, it's easy for those guys. You know, there are guys who are in the trenches who have a really
09:47tough life. Do you also face constraints? Are Russians targeting you? Is it very dangerous?
09:54Yes, I'll answer your question in two parts. Of course, those who are in the trenches have a life
10:01that is very, very hard. But we do this work precisely to improve the lives of those who are
10:08fighting on the front lines. Because when we destroy ammunition depots, refineries, factories
10:14that produce explosives, well, by doing that, we reduce the impact the enemy has on those who are
10:22holding that front line. And we know it because we ourselves were in the trenches, so we've been
10:29through these very difficult stages. That's the first point. The second point. This is for those
10:35who think that, well, we're just going to go launch a drone somewhere. Actually, that's not the reality
10:40at all, because facing us, we have Russian missiles, including the Iskander missile. It will be able to
10:45reach our launch site in just one minute, one and a half minutes. And even if you hide, for example,
10:51in a trench, if you go into a tunnel to hide, that might protect you against an artillery shell.
10:57But when you're in an open environment, and there's an Iskander coming that's going to drop
11:02some munitions, even if it explodes 500 meters away, there are still very few people who will survive.
11:08So it's obviously very dangerous. And it's happened to us several times, but at the same time, thank God.
11:13You know, here in Ukraine, we have something we call crazy luck. And having this crazy luck is better
11:19than any tactics. So knock on wood and hope for the best. For now, we've been lucky.
11:25Yes. And I want to make one small point because I keep saying the guys, but actually, I'm not sexist.
11:31We have women, too. And obviously, there aren't many of them, but we really take good care of them.
11:35We need them. And so when I say the guys, yes, I mean the fighters who work with us.
11:40But to wrap up on the issue of safety, I would like to add that I consider myself to have
11:44two other
11:44birthdays because I've already been targeted twice by squads, and we avoided them by only one minute the
11:51first time and 30 seconds the second time. So that gives a good idea of the level of danger we're
11:56facing. Then there's a second point, which is that working with these drones requires having a certain
12:02set of skills. We have to form a group in which we have teams that are capable of launching a
12:07sufficient
12:08number of drones into enemy territory. And that involves constant training, not getting any sleep
12:13at night because the missions never stop. We work every day, so it's really very hard work.
12:19Maybe it gives the impression that it's easy. They just launch drones, but in reality,
12:23it's not like that at all. It's really hard work that really needs to be done perfectly.
12:29So that means there are two wars. There's the war on the front line,
12:33and then there's the war with strategic value at longer range. And you're trying to force Russia
12:38to abandon its objective because of a lack of money, the destruction of their factories,
12:43is that right? Yes, of course, and actually we can sum it up like that.
12:49The main objective of long-range strikes is really to weaken Russia.
12:56On the economic, logistical, and military level, we've run the numbers and determined that every
13:02dollar invested in our long-range war allows us to destroy the equivalent of $256 worth of equipment
13:09in Russia. Is there a particular skill that was really super secret six months ago and has now become
13:17something completely commonplace today? Basic knowledge today?
13:21Well, I can tell you a super secret story about what happened at the very beginning of the war
13:26and about the development of the armed forces in Ukraine. Because in reality, nobody really believed
13:31in drones and the armed forces. And in general, nobody even understood what a drone actually was.
13:37It was a series of very lucky coincidences that led the Russians to try to use these drones.
13:43Because in fact, they were simply stored in warehouses and we started working with them because we found
13:48them, since in reality, these were ultra secret projects. But as for the secrets that were still
13:53relevant six months ago, unfortunately, I still can't talk about them. Because that would mean I
13:58would be explaining to you certain technologies that are still used today. For example, how a drone is
14:03built, what kind of detection it will use on the target, how we managed to get around Russian air
14:07defense. These are really pieces of information that are still extremely sensitive.
14:11And how do you think countries like France, Western European countries could come and learn from you?
14:17Do they come? Do they try to improve? Are we really far behind you? Actually,
14:22It's a story that continues to be written every day. Everyone understands today that Ukraine has
14:27become a kind of testing ground for all other countries. To test equipment, to validate tactics,
14:35so of course, friendly countries learn a lot from what we do. But I'll also tell you something more.
14:41It's necessary for you to learn from this experience. And I'll give you an example that
14:46might be hard to hear, but it's the truth. For example, if the countries supporting Ukraine
14:52today stopped helping us, and if they said, all right, that's enough now, you're one on one with this
14:58enemy. And now imagine an apocalyptic scenario in which Russia manages to capture all of Ukraine.
15:06So now imagine if these two armies have been hardened by five years of intense war,
15:14with drone technologies that are far ahead of anything that could be used by any allied country
15:20today. What would happen to NATO, to Europe? It's an ethical question, of course.
15:27Is there something you think that Western European countries, Europe, the United States,
15:32don't understand about the reality of the war in Ukraine today?
15:37No matter how long it takes, because in any case, we are the only line of defense. In fact,
15:42that's exactly what I was answering in the previous question. It's about truly understanding why European
15:47countries, Western countries, are providing aid today. Because we really need to understand that
15:53Ukraine is truly the shield of Europe. Our soldiers, the men and women of our armed forces,
15:58are paying this price with their health, for their families, with their lives, so that Europe can
16:05remain at peace. Because we remember what happened at the beginning of the war, when all the Kremlin
16:10spokespersons said that Ukraine would only be the first step, they said it openly. If, for example,
16:16instead of attacking Ukraine, they had targeted Latvia or Lithuania, well, the situation would
16:22have been very, very different. So our Western partners really need to understand that we need
16:26this help. Ukraine, unfortunately, in this wartime situation, cannot rely only on itself. On our side,
16:33in a way, you could say we've already squeezed ourselves dry to be able to provide everything
16:37necessary to the very limit of our strength to resist this threat. But yes, we need help. And more
16:45importantly, understanding. Understanding of what kind of help we need. Because these are both
16:51financial and military issues. Our friendly countries might say, for example, that they have
16:56fighter jets. And yes, that's true. A fighter jet is great when it comes to bombing Iran after its air
17:02defense has already been destroyed. So when there's no more air defense in Iran, the planes can fly
17:08freely. But even in this situation, they can't really totally unleash all that American power,
17:14with all the surrounding countries involved. And in the end, the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked,
17:20and the oil remains blocked. So basically, to be able to fight Russia, it's still much, much more
17:25difficult. Because they really have a lot more people and are much better equipped. Compared to Russia,
17:31we might be like a small child. But a child who has learned how to box and knows where to
17:37hit to hurt.
17:38That's why there really needs to be a very clear understanding of how much support and assistance
17:42are necessary for us. No matter how long it will last, because we're the ones holding the line.
17:48If we look into the issue of unmanned systems, it actually includes many components, whether we're
17:54talking about the tactical level or even up to the strategic level. And since we are at war,
17:59we are constantly in a race for technological innovation, because each of our systems must
18:04be continuously improved. And we also need major reforms within the army. And they have started
18:10to be implemented. But obviously, it's much harder to do when you're already at war.
18:16So for me, if I had to change something, the first goal, the main goal, is first to have a
18:21professional contract within the army. So that the people who serve in the armed forces are truly
18:27motivated. A contract with the army should include financial and social support for all members
18:34serving. Because sometimes I can see that some soldiers have salaries that are only 20 to 30,000
18:42hrivnias, which is really very low. How much is that in euros? That's barely 500 euros, right?
18:49Let's say 400 to 500 euros in salary for a member of the armed forces. And even if they're not
18:55on the
18:55battlefield on the front line, but they're working somewhere in logistics or at headquarters,
19:01well, it's still a huge workload. Those involved in military operations can receive up to 20,000 hrivnias.
19:08So it's good that the soldiers who are in combat units receive pay that matches the risks. But for
19:14those who support us with high inflation and high exchange rates, well, it's still a very small amount.
19:21Because each of us has families, we have parents, and they also need our support. Of course, the
19:27government tries to provide everything that's necessary. But again, it comes back to the question
19:31of funding. Because when we look in detail at the financial support we receive from western countries,
19:36as well as training, information, our personnel, yes, also equipment. And then, at another level,
19:42we ask our western partners, well, if they can support us, for example, with vehicles,
19:46well, they tell us, but we don't understand. You need vehicles. Isn't the government supposed to
19:51provide them for you? So we answer, yes, obviously, the government should. It's trying. It's trying to do
19:56its best. But unfortunately, it's not enough. So in the end, when people outside of Ukraine or western
20:03partners see that there are Ukrainian soldiers who start fundraising for drones, for vehicles,
20:08or any other type of equipment, well, they need to understand that this is the reality of war today.
20:14Everyone does this because we understand that without this additional support,
20:18well, a unit simply won't be able to survive. And by the way, I'd like to present to you our
20:24hoodie,
20:24which we brought especially for you. And this is actually the new version. You see that it has the
20:30logo of our first center. It's perfect. And on the back, that's our slogan.
20:36In the special forces, the slogan was, I'm coming to face you. And ours, of course,
20:42is I'm flying to face you. Thank you. I have something for you, too. You know,
20:47we also have a long history when it comes to killing Russians. That's Napoleon III. During the
20:55Battle of Sevastopol, we killed 150,000 Russians back then. The trident with the Eiffel Tower, of course,
21:02and the Mirage 2000. I know the Mirage 2000 is a good plane, but you're expecting something even
21:07better. But it's part of our patch collection. We would also like to deploy more Mirages on our
21:12side as well. Okay, I'll say a few words in French. I also want to thank the team who gave
21:17me this gift
21:17to show appreciation for our efforts. A team took the tail of a Garen and painted Napoleon on it.
21:23That's also a good memory. We burned Moscow. That gives us another thing in common between France
21:29and Ukraine, doesn't it? I know that very soon Moscow will start to burn. They'll start whining
21:35like little dogs. And I think that moment will come very soon. He also has his new country, right?
21:43And in Moscow, for now, they feel like everything is fine, but that's only for now. And that I can
21:49guarantee you. Friends, I'll put all the links in the comments of this video so you can buy awesome
21:53hoodies, matching caps, make donations, and support them. Anyway, today, it's really the kind of system
22:00that saves lives, allows them to work safely, and helps bring this war to an end as quickly as possible.
22:05So that's also a crucial part of the war effort, international support, and not just support from
22:10governments. Your support can also save lives. Thank you again for everything. It was an honor and a
22:16real pleasure to be welcomed here. Can I come with you on one of your next missions? Barely. Us.
22:22Okay, we'll see. Stay tuned. See you soon.
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