In a concealed position in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, the silence lasted only until the drone launch countdown began. Soldiers moved quickly between camouflage nets, antennas and dugouts carved into the earth, while several laptops streamed live aerial footage from deep behind Russian lines. Seconds later, the drone shot forward from the catapult and disappeared into the gray sky above the front. Kyiv Post was granted rare access to spend a day with the 21st Unmanned Systems Regiment “Lava”, observing how soldiers assemble, prepare and launch Ukrainian reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems from a hidden command post near the front line.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Four hours and we still haven’t lost it,” one serviceman said while monitoring the screen, referring to the Leleka reconnaissance drone. “This camera here is an evasion system. It reacts to interceptor drones automatically.” A pilot of the Ukrainian Leleka reconnaissance drone system prepares the aircraft for launch near the front line in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Photo: Kostiantyn Ustyuzhyn / Kyiv Post The “Lava” Unmanned Systems Regiment is part of the corps structure of Khartiia, one of Ukraine’s increasingly technology-driven military units. From the concealed command point, operators coordinated both the Leleka reconnaissance UAV and the strike-capable Bulava loitering munition system, using them together for reconnaissance, artillery correction and long-range strikes against Russian targets.