Interview: ‘Now You’re Afraid of the Sky Most of All’

Inside Ukraine’s Drone War in Zaporizhzhia

In an exclusive interview, a logistics coordinator of Ukraine’s 423rd UAS Battalion speaks about drone warfare, shifting battlefield tactics, and why he believes Russia’s war goes far beyond Ukraine.

Published in the Kyiv Post March 17, 2026

In southeastern Ukraine, along one of the most intensely contested sectors of the front, the nature of war has changed dramatically. Stretching across the Zaporizhzhia region toward the occupied territories, combat has entered a new technological phase. The vast battlefield here is increasingly defined by drones.

The so-called gray zone – the area behind the contact line – is expanding as both sides use unmanned systems to see deeper and strike farther than ever before.

Reconnaissance drones guide artillery and provide targeting data, while interceptor drones attempt to destroy incoming UAVs or loitering munitions before they reach their targets.

Operating in this environment is the 423rd Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Battalion, known as the “Scythian Griffins.” The unit is part of Ukraine’s 20th Army Corps and focuses on drone warfare rather than traditional infantry combat. Unlike most units at the front, the battalion operates as a separate formation, coordinating with other brigades in the sector through the Ukrainian military’s digital battlefield system Delta, which allows units to share real-time intelligence about enemy positions.

Among those serving in the battalion is Oleksii Burmak, originally from Luhansk, which has been under Russian occupation since 2014. Burmak works largely behind the scenes. He manages logistics, paperwork, and coordination for one of the companies – work that rarely makes headlines but is essential to keeping the units operational.

Outside his formal duties, Burmak also dedicates time to what he calls “unofficial diplomacy work.” Through presentations and online videos, he speaks across Europe about the war and about what he believes is a historical pattern behind Russia’s aggression.

His message is simple: the war against Ukraine did not begin in 2022, and it will not end with Ukraine alone if Russia is not stopped.

I met Burmak in Zaporizhzhia for an exclusive interview to discuss the evolution of drone warfare, changing battlefield tactics, and why he believes Russia’s war against Ukraine must be understood in a much broader geopolitical context.

Korbinian Leo Kramer: Oleksii, tell us about yourself – how you ended up here and what your life looked like before the full-scale invasion.

Oleksii Burmak: I’m originally from Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine. That region has been under Russian occupation since 2014, so for me the war began much earlier than for many other Ukrainians.

When the fighting broke out in 2014, I was living abroad in the Mediterranean. I returned home immediately. At that time, I felt a strong desire to serve in the army, but because of various circumstances – family issues, bureaucracy, and the general situation in those early years – it didn’t happen. People from Luhansk were often viewed with suspicion when trying to enter military service.

So I remained a civilian. For many years, I worked as a volunteer, helping both soldiers and people who had been forced to leave my hometown. At the same time, I was running different businesses. Life, in many ways, was still normal.

But I also understood that the situation around Ukraine was becoming increasingly dangerous. It was clear to me that a larger Russian aggression was likely to happen.

When the full-scale invasion began in 2022, I decided that I had to join the army. But for almost two years I wasn’t accepted. During that time, I asked myself what I would want to do if I had the choice. I had always been interested in aviation and drones. In 2021 I even tried to start a drone business for agriculture. With the war spreading across the country, it seemed natural to continue working with that technology in a military context.

I found this battalion almost by accident. I didn’t know anyone here. I sent my CV to several units, and eventually one of the battalion’s middle line commanders contacted me.

Sometimes in life you have to change your profession. Not because you want to – but because the situation demands it. In the end, we don’t really have a choice. If we don’t defend ourselves, we lose our country.

KLK: What exactly is your role inside the battalion today?

First I was operating as a drone pilot. Now, my work is mostly connected with logistics and coordination.

To operate on the battlefield, soldiers need many different things every day – drones, vehicles, fuel, equipment, batteries, uniforms, communication systems.

Inside the army there are specialized services responsible for providing these things. My role is to coordinate between my company and those services.

I deal with around fourteen different supply services inside the battalion – each responsible for a different category of equipment. My job is to make sure everything arrives on time and reaches the people who need it for operations.

So every day, people are calling or writing to ask for something. It means you are constantly online.

There are no days off in this job.

KLK: You probably have a broad overview of how your company operates. What is its main mission?

Our company focuses mainly on strike operations with drones. So I would say our mission is very simple: Destroy the enemy. We have different types of quadrocopters, FPVs, and also airplane-type drones. Beyond that, I’d prefer not to speak much.

Usually our drone teams operate quite close to the frontline. But it depends on the situation and on the type of drone. The closest is basically infantry range. The farthest is around 15 kilometers.

The battalion is a drone battalion, that is true. But reality is more complex.

Before any strike, there is always reconnaissance and planning.

You must know exactly where your positions are, where your backup positions are, and how you will withdraw if something goes wrong. The problem is that there is not enough infantry. So when the enemy comes too close, or breaks through, sometimes you may still end up using guns.

Coordination is the most important thing. Coordination and a clear mind. You must think about every possible scenario. If you don’t do that, you won’t survive long. We have fewer people. We have fewer weapons. So we must be smarter than our enemy.

KLK: From your perspective, how has this war changed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion 2022?

It has changed a lot. Now you’re afraid of the sky most of all.

Many people call it a war of drones, and in some ways that is true. But drones alone do not define the war.

What really changed is how drones now work together with artillery and other systems. Before, we didn’t have that in the same way. There is a huge number of drones observing targets and monitoring the battlefield constantly.

Because of that, movement has become extremely dangerous. Both sides are watching each other almost all the time. This has made the actions of infantry and heavy vehicles much more difficult. it’s a new era, and it’s developing fast.

Everyone is waiting for the one moment someone moves. And as soon as the drones see it, you fire – or the enemy fires. With everything.

So it’s about waiting. It’s about hiding. You try not to move unless it’s absolutely necessary.

KLK: Russian forces seem to be adapting as well, increasingly moving on foot instead of using vehicles.

Yes, that is true. I would say they have been doing this for more than a year now.

Like I mentioned, vehicles are easy targets now because drones detect them quickly. So Russian units often move in small infantry groups – one or two people first, then more.

Many of them die, but some of them slip between our positions, and then they give information to the next group, and more infantry comes.

If we understand their likely routes, we can place mines there in advance. This is called distance mining – placing mines remotely in areas where the enemy is likely to advance.

KLK: People often assume the widespread use of drones reduces casualties. What would you say?

In general it actually increases them.

You have more opportunities to detect and more opportunities to kill.

Now artillery strikes are much more deadly – from our side and from the enemy side.

Some people imagine that robots and drones will eventually replace soldiers completely. But that is not realistic right now. Infantry is still essential.

Who will recharge the robot? Who’ll repair it if it’s damaged? Robots are destroyed just like any other piece of equipment.

For the moment I do not see any possibility of fighting without infantry at all. Maybe in the future, technology will change the balance further. But today war still depends on people.

KLK: Many people abroad believe Ukraine currently has the technological advantage in drone warfare. Is that accurate?

In some ways yes. But it’s a constant technological race.

Ukrainians invent more and faster. Our engineers are very creative. But Russians copy better, and they have more money and more resources. Plus they have very powerful allies – at least until now: North Korea, Iran and Belarus openly support Russia.

I don’t know if it’s correct to name China directly in that sense. It’s more complicated because China profits from both sides and also works with us, providing many things. They are simply using this war for their own purposes.

KLK: Right now, you are not flying strike drones yourself anymore. But when you were operating them, did that affect you psychologically? Obliterating people while watching it on a screen, even if it’s the enemy?

When I used to guide the drones myself, there was no live footage in that way. My work was a bit different. I had my targets I was firing at. I did not see everything online. I found out the result later, offline.

But in general, it would not affect me psychologically. Destruction of the enemy does not create many emotions in me. it’s like killing a fly that bothers you – you don’t feel emotions about it. it’s a crazy comparison, but why not?

And partly, a part of me is glad, because I understand that I have done my job well, and that this human-like creature that came here is being destroyed and will not harm my friends or anyone else.

KLK: So you don’t see them as humans?

That is a broader question. Mostly, I do not consider them human. That makes my attitude very negative. I know Russians very well. I have been in Russia myself. I lived near the Russian border. I saw what they did here 12 years ago, and what they are doing now.

However, I cannot say I have no respect for all of them. As an enemy, they are a serious enemy. Some of them have principles – very few, but some – and I can recognize that. But generally, no. They came here to kill me. My duty is to destroy them.

KLK: You have lived with this war for more than a decade now. What keeps you going?

I am tired, very tired.

Imagine living with war for twelve years. I cannot be happy for twelve years. They took part of my heart. My home is occupied and I cannot go back.

Every death on our side makes me feel the sadness and pain, though I usually do not show emotions. Emotions are a resource, and I don’t have much of that resource left. Before 2014 I had more. After that, I tried to hide it inside myself, because otherwise you will go crazy.

What keeps me going is very simple. If we stop fighting, we will die.

And I want to live in my own place. I could have left Ukraine many times. I still could if I wanted.

But I don’t want to. For me it’s a matter of principle. And yes, I want revenge as well.

The force that is coming here – its purpose is destruction. When you go to the front line and see destroyed villages, dead animals, houses in ruins, and when you receive information that your friends are killed or missing, it’s not something I would want our children to inherit.

KLK: So let’s stay with your home region for a bit. Are there still parts of your family there?

No. All of them either died or left in 2014 already. it’s not possible to coexist with Russians if you are a normal person. You know when the so-called little green men were coming, everybody knew what’s really going on, but they didn’t want to spoil relations with Russians because it’s money. It’s a regular story for the world. Nothing special.

KLK: So do you think Ukraine will ever be able to regain territories like Luhansk and Donetsk? Or is it more pragmatic to focus on defending what remains and to put it in Trump’s words to reach out any kind of deal?

Right now, physically, we cannot regain those territories. We do not have the forces. But that definitely does not mean we should give anything else to Russia. Slovyansk and Kramatorsk must of course remain Ukrainian. There is no question about that.

Also, I don’t think “deal” is the right word. A deal is when you buy a car. You cannot make a deal over people and territory. Besides, we know they will break any deal. They already did. And all these “guarantees” – what do they mean? Will someone send a fortress here? No.

The Americans have already broken a lot of things. So no, there is no real guarantee. But I think that if things continue as they do, Russia will eventually fall, and then we may regain these territories without force. It happened before – after the end of the First World War, and again in 1991.

(Suddenly, several loud explosions tear through the air nearby. Families with children rush away from a playground just a few meters from where we are sitting.)

I’m used to this. Most likely guided bombs.

KLK: As it is now unfolding in front of us, what do you think it will take for all of this to end?

I don’t know. At the moment, I do not see any end to the war. I think Putin cannot stop – or maybe he could, but he does not want to. Things may change, but right now I see everything getting worse.

KLK: You often speak about the broader geopolitical meaning of this war. What do you want people outside Ukraine to understand?

First, if you prepare for war, you are less likely to have war. So do not repeat our mistakes. Europe should remember that.

Second, this war is part of a broader conflict against Western civilization. It’s not only about Ukraine. it’s part of a much larger confrontation.

Russia has spoken openly about its ambitions. In 2021 they demanded that NATO return to earlier borders. Later they spoke about regaining territories that once belonged to their sphere of influence.

What is happening now is part of a larger plan that began after 1991. It did not come from nowhere. This did not begin in 2022, and not even in 2014. Those were only parts of a larger mosaic.

If Russia is not stopped here, it will not stop. That is the most important thing people outside Ukraine should finally understand.

If you are not prepared, the war will eventually come to you.