A volunteer from Great Britain, “Shucks”, talks about the features of modern drone warfare, his experience of serving in the ranks of the Ukrainian army and his own vision of the russian-Ukrainian war.

1. Came as a tourist – and became a soldier

I came and stayed in Ukraine as a tourist when the war started. And I decided to stay, because all the men were asked to stay. I am not Ukrainian, but I really wanted to help. I started working with NGOs, providing support to the Ukrainian army. I also recorded and published evidence of russia’s criminal attacks on civilian infrastructure. In addition, I took care of hungry dogs and cats that were abandoned or lost their owners in the cities and villages of Donbas.

After two years of helping in this way, I decided to join the Ukrainian army. Because during these two years I saw a lot of evil and damage that russia did and therefore became very motivated to join the armed struggle.

But I did a lot before joining the Ukrainian army. On my own initiative and at my own expense, I learned to fly drones for a month, took a two-week course in tactical medicine, and learned to handle weapons for two weeks, because I had no military background.

2. Training and motivation

When I joined the International Legion, I was given all the necessary equipment. In general, in the Ukrainian army you will receive everything you need. Equipment is not a problem here. The International Legion, where I started my service, gave me very good basic training and became a good start for me. Then I joined the 25th brigade.

At the beginning of my service, I went through many different training courses, including specialized ones. There were many different interesting and difficult training exercises. As a result, I was satisfied, because I benefited a lot from the training. Now I feel like a truly versatile soldier. I can be an infantryman, I can work with drones: launch, program, fight them.

Anyone who joins the military needs to think about what role you will play and how you can be useful. Only you know your skills and your potential, and most importantly – your motivation and the work you want to do. You need to explain it clearly and, as a rule, they will be happy to accommodate you, because it suits everyone. If you are ready and motivated to do a certain job, then it is very likely that you will be given such an opportunity. I was pleasantly surprised by how flexible the command is to provide a foreign volunteer with the work they want.

3. Drone War

A guy I worked with in an NGO told me that the best way to be useful in a war is to become a drone pilot. So I gave it my all and went through both simulator and real school training.

I worked with drones in various positions. I started as a pilot, but I was more drawn to engineering. I learned to program. I programmed drones for missions, prepared them for combat missions. It is a complex technical job, but very interesting and useful. You need to be able to work with radios, understand electronics. This area is constantly changing and improving. This is a truly exciting time for drones.

There are two key areas in the drone race: attack and defense. Attack is developing faster now. We know how to attack better than how to defend. That is why it is a difficult time. But it is precisely in such dynamics that there is a great opportunity for innovation. If you come up with ideas, even simple ones, and have an unconventional view, you can be very useful. I have seen more than once when someone says “what if we did it like this?” — and it works!

Technology changes every three months. Optical drones have changed everything. A new race has begun. Optics require new solutions. We are no longer thinking only about electronic warfare, but also about kinetic countermeasures. We cannot get stuck in old technologies. We need new solutions to protect our infantry.

I was in the infantry myself and I know: drones save our lives because they stop the russian infantry.

I played a lot of computer games. And I noticed the correlation between gamers and drone pilots. If you are really good at playing computer games, you can become a good drone pilot. You can learn in a few months and be very useful.

 

4. Why is it important to learn Ukrainian

Knowledge of the Ukrainian language is really important. Therefore, if there is any way to improve your level of knowledge, then use it. Because it is really important and helps. If you do not do this, then your command will make sure that there is always an interpreter with you in the unit. But knowing Ukrainian is an advantage. Especially important is the vocabulary, which is necessary for completing missions and for communicating in stressful situations.

Leadership opportunities completely depend on your team. If you, like me, are in a Ukrainian team, and your level of Ukrainian is insufficient, then you will not be a commander. But if you are in a team of foreigners, then you can become a sergeant, even without knowing Ukrainian.

5. About Ukraine and the importance of resisting russian aggression

The longer you are in Ukraine, the more you want to stay here. I have been here for a long time, and for about three and a half years I consider Ukraine my home. I am now defending people who care about me. And I want to stay here after the war. I think that many people who came here to fight for freedom have the same desire. They want to be part of Ukraine after the war, because they dedicated so much to it, fought so much for it, got to know and love Ukrainian culture and identity - given all this, there is a desire to stay.

Almost every foreign volunteer I have met here believes that this is a war that will be seen in history as a war of good against evil.

russian ruler Putin says that he is defending some "traditional values". But the truth is that he is leading a country that is stagnant. Real progress is in the West. Not only technological, but also social, moral. Ukraine wants to be part of Europe because that is where it sees its future. russia is a country of obscurantism and stagnation. That is why Ukrainians are resisting russia. With the development of technology, especially AI, it is important that governments are democratic. When a tyrant subjugates his country and then attacks a neighboring one, it is truly dangerous. If people like Putin remain in power, and modern technology only strengthens them, it threatens the future of all humanity. Therefore, for me, it is not just about protecting Ukraine, not only about protecting democracy, but even about protecting humanity.