First Person View drones at heart of Ukrainian military campaign

Ukraine's armed forces have been put under pressure several times since the conflict with Russia began in February 2022. Russia is a much larger country, with a bigger army, airforce and resources.

The toll on both civilians and the military has been enormous, with tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians killed. Neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian government will confirm how many have died during this conflict. 

Most of the Ukrainians soldiers I've spoken to during the past two-and-a-half years insist they kill far more Russian soldiers in combat than they lose from their own brigades.

To the Ukrainians this is the 'Big War'. Ukraine tries to hold a defensive line and respond to Russian attacks as it can.

There is also an increasing reliance on drone warfare.

Vladyslav is part of a drone donation team. Working with civilian colleagues, the team has gone further than just donating money to buy drones. His team assembles, and delivers modified drones direct to the military.

"The war is a drone war, and this is really the robotic war," he tells me. "The most effective will be the side in this war which uses technologies," adding "Ukraine is now producing a lot of different high technologies."

A revealing aspect in this conflict is how ordinary Ukrainians are part of a military innovation.

The strategy is simple, according to Dmytro Kutovyi, a former property developer in Kharkiv.

"Some businessmen in Europe have given, for the drones program money, every month, for example, 1,000 euros, 5000 euros or 10,000 euros," Kutovyi explains.

He adds: "Some companies in Kharkiv, in Kyiv, in other cities, like taxi networks, for example, gather money for drones, from every trip. 

"Just a few days ago, one of Kharkiv's taxi companies started this program... and also small businesses also understand that there will be time for profit (in the future). But now we need to survive – they have to help our army."

There are thousands of workshops across the country that assemble and build unmanned aircrafts for the army.

Ukraine's military buys, and is supplied with, FPV - first-person-view drones. Their compact size carries a battery to power them, along with a camera and an explosive device. 

The drones transmit wirelessly and are controlled by a soldier electronically to locate the enemy and attack.

Drones are  modified and assembled by volunteers, many without any military skills - but who have a technological background.

According to drone engineer Serhii: "It's quite difficult, because there are specific requirements and it's challenging to complete them. Put it this way, everybody who can, does this. Some people do more, some less. Some can build one or two drones a day, others are more skilled. They're all paid for and we deliver them ready to use."

Serhii is a front-line 'soldier' of a different kind. And this is a more futuristic kind of war, one that minimizes risk and causes fewer casualties.

I saw dozens of completed drones. Some of the assembled parts - up to 30 percent - are made in Ukraine. Other parts are imported, from within Europe and beyond.

This civilian workshop, funded by donations and people's salaries, is supplying Ukrainian soldiers with weapons that are cheap but deadly.  

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