HIGH STAKES:
Members of the top-secret team live in complete secrecy, hiding their work even from loved ones, as they do their part on the war against Russia
AFP, KYIV
Encrypted communications, wives and children in the dark, and spending only in cash — the Ukrainian soldiers behind brazen long-range drone strikes on Russia live their lives almost completely in the shadows.The retaliatory attacks on Russian military sites and oil refineries they carry out have embarrassed Russian President Vladimir Putin, who four years ago thought he could capture Kyiv in a matter of days.The price they pay, though, is almost complete secrecy.
A serviceman of Ukraine’s defense intelligence prepares an An-196 Liutyi (Fierce) one-way drone against Russia in an undisclosed location in Ukraine late Thursday, May 28, 2026.
