“Ivan is a UAV pilot who went from being an actor to being a military man. Honest about war, drones, brotherhood and a promise to a daughter.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
“The salary came – we went out with the boys, bought cars, walkie-talkies… We thank the people who still did not get tired of reporting”- says Ivan.
He is 30. He has been fighting for four years.
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There is no romance in the army, adds Dean. There is daily work where someone’s life is at stake.
“I wanted to fight. I’m a defender!” The war found Ivan away from home. On April 8, 2022, he came to the recruitment and social support center. There they tried to refuse:
“They said: you are still subject to military service, we cannot take you. I went for two weeks before they finally accepted me”.
Theater, dolls and war Before the army, Ivan was an actor at the Kryvyi Rih Puppet Theater, later at the Lviv Theater “And People and Dolls.” He worked both as a locksmith and a loader – he did not shy away from hard work.
From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the young fighter’s course was completed. Rick worked with MANPADS. Then — a random but fateful call from the commander:
– We need a person in the combined rifle brigade of the Air Force.
“I passed the BPAK test — and was taken away from the pilots”- says Ivan.
So he found himself in a world where every machine is worth more than a human life, and one mistake is not only a lost drone, but also the fate of people on earth.
Stork, Sky Punishment, Mavic 3 Pro: pilot school on the front lines Training at various UAV complexes takes months. And every flight is a new lesson.
You will never forget the first: “The plane flew 18 km and lost contact. We thought it was a minus. It turned out that the video patch simply did not work. The story is simple, but the “bird” tickled our nerves”.
Ivan has been serving in the Combined Rifle Brigade of the Air Force for over two years. He has the most important thing behind him – experience. Every flight is like an exam.
In the spring of 2024, he was sent to the Kherson region to join the marines. There he worked on the “Stork” – a stable, coded machine that made it possible to protect intelligence from interception.
Ivan’s team carried out deep reconnaissance, watched videos, looked for equipment, changes in positions, enemy routes.
“I understood that I was doing important work. I was passing on important information — and that gave me strength.”
Then there were other directions: Donetsk, Illinka, Selidove, Kurakhove, Pokrovsk. The points on the map became the places of losses — equipment, nerves, friends.
FPVs who come to kill The technology war is changing every day.
“We drive into the position, and here their FPV comes in. The EW worked, crushed the controls — and the drone fell 15 meters away.
If it weren’t for REB, I don’t know if I would be talking to you now.”.
On the front lines, understanding comes like nowhere else: in war, friends are a luxury.
“I try not to get attached. When you get attached to a friend, then it breaks three times harder.”
The best “birds” and a pilot’s dream Among dozens of different devices, Ivan values ”Magura” and “Grey Widow” the most:
“Simple, reliable, controlled. They flew and returned.”
Modern war forces you to survive and maneuver.
“The enemy learns very quickly. We intercept their drones and flash them. They are ours. This is a war of technology and human resources, where the person is not very important.”.
And the dream?
“I want to fly on a big wing. To carry a big charge and destroy the enemy!”.
A promise to my daughter After all the rotations, Ivan again goes to a new direction – now Sumy.
He does not speak pathetically about victory. He doesn’t talk about patriotism. He does not play roles, although he was once an actor.
“I have a dream to return alive to my 9-year-old daughter Emma. I promised her that I would return!”- says Dean quietly, putting on a balaclava and going to his usual work.
And in these words – the truth of hundreds of Ukrainian UAV pilots, who every day launch their “wings” into the sky, knowing that every flight is equal to risk. For them — or for those they are trying to save.
Nadia Balagurakan officer of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
A column is a type of material that reflects exclusively the point of view of the author. It does not claim objectivity and comprehensive coverage of the topic in question. The point of view of the editors of “Economic Pravda” and “Ukrainian Pravda” may not coincide with the author’s point of view. The editors are not responsible for the reliability and interpretation of the given information and perform exclusively the role of a carrier.