KYIV, Ukraine — As the Russian army made its move on Kyiv in late February, the Ukrainian defences enlisted a drone pilot to pinpoint a column of military vehicles approaching the capital from the west.
The civilian who took on the task sent his drone up in a field near his house and found the Russian convoy. Ukrainian artillery destroyed it and the drone operator was quietly saluted as a hero.
He’s also 15. Read more: The first 100 days of war through the eyes of a Ukrainian village In an interview with Global News, Andrii Pokrasa acknowledged he was the kid who helped stop the Russian invasion of Kyiv.
The incident was confirmed by his parents, the head of the Ukrainian drone owners federation and a commander in the armed forces unmanned reconnaissance section. “He was the only one who was experienced with drones in that region,” explained the commander, Yurii Kasjanov. “He’s a real hero, a hero of Ukraine.” Pokrasa said the experience was “very, very scary” but he didn’t want the Russian soldiers to overrun his town.