The situation in Kharkiv, a Ukrainian region bordering Russia, is critical. Russian forces have already claimed the conquest of several towns in Kharkiv while Ukraine is redoubling its efforts to repel the enemy. And seems to be succeeding since the Ukrainian army says it “stopped” the Russian assault this Friday.
To overcome this assault, kyiv resorted to numerous units hiding in the shadows, trying to sabotage the Russian army. This is the case of the “Code 9.2” drone unit of the 92nd assault brigade.
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Act in the shadows
It is when the sun sets that the “Code 9.2” unit can begin installing its equipment in the Kharkiv region to carry out its mission: flying drones in Russia and dropping mines on their key routes. The dark night is too dark to act without being hampered by the darkness, so it is dusk that the members of the unit favor, as reported by CNN which followed their mission. This fading light is, however, essential to protect them from Russian drones flying over the area in search of them, ready to strike at any moment.
It is time for the unit to install in the trenches and bunkers a Starlink antenna, batteries and “Vampire” quadcopters, imposing drones equipped with thermal detectors essential for striking at night. These are set up and ready for use in 30 minutes, before night falls.
When it finally gets dark, several members of the unit will attach mines to the drones before flying them across the border. But the task is considerably complicated by the constant passage of Russian tracking drones. “Code 9.2” member Andrey explains that they will “fly all night” and that there is only one solution: hide, listen silently and let him pass. If spotted, the soldiers and dug trenches could become targets of air and artillery strikes throughout the night, leaving them with little chance of survival. The chances are even slimmer as the team has no cars, apart from their Humvee, which is used to move their equipment, and would have to flee into completely open terrain.
Artem, another member, also fears the proximity to Russia, meaning that “reconnaissance groups can come in and go anywhere” and that they could “wake up with a Russian soldier standing over them.” .
Then, the team returns to a bunker, converted into an operations center, to prepare to fly the “Vampires”.
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“We are already in Russia”
The real work begins. The drone pilot flies it over the border. “Now we are already in Russia,” he says. His task becomes complicated: Russian GPS jammers try to prevent the progress of the “Vampires”.
Once the interference has been crossed, the drone goes straight to its target and delivers two mines. These exploded the next day, hitting an armored car and a light vehicle.
Returning the drone can also be dangerous. Russian drones sometimes follow the “Vampires” to find the position of the “Code 9.2” unit while waiting for its members to come and collect them from the launch zone.
The team, capable of carrying out 24 flights in one night, has a key role in the attack on Russia and the members have “a great responsibility” towards their families, as Artem reports.
