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Ukraine declares open season on Russian drone pilots

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Ukraine is launching specialised units to track down and kill Russia’s drone operators, signalling a sharp escalation in the technological arms race that now dominates the battlefield.

The move targets the people behind the machines rather than just the drones themselves. Officials say eliminating skilled operators could cripple Moscow’s rapidly expanding unmanned warfare capability.

Hunting the Operators Behind the Drones

The plan was confirmed by Mykhailo Fedorov, who said dedicated teams are already being formed to identify and eliminate Russian UAV crews.

“Our goal is to shorten the life cycle of enemy drone pilots,” he said, according to reports. The units are tasked with locating operators, striking them quickly and preventing drone launches before they begin.

The strategy reflects the growing importance of human expertise in drone warfare, where experienced pilots can shape entire engagements.

Incentives Turn Drone Hunters Into High-Value Units

Kyiv is also reshaping its reward system to prioritise the new mission.

Under Ukraine’s “Army of Drones” programme, combat units receive electronic rewards for successful strikes. Authorities have now doubled those points for killing drone operators, putting them on par with eliminating frontline infantry.

The incentives are designed to push units to hunt the technicians and pilots who keep Russia’s drone fleets in the air.

A Glimpse of the New Tactics

The approach is already being tested on the battlefield.

Footage released by Ukraine shows operatives from the Alpha Special Operations Centre identifying and striking a Russian Molniya drone team. One operator was reportedly killed and the aircraft destroyed before it could launch.

The attack illustrates how quickly the hunt for operators can translate into battlefield impact.

A Drone War Expanding at Speed

The initiative comes amid warnings that Russia’s drone forces are about to surge.

Oleksandr Syrskyi has said Moscow aims to expand its unmanned systems personnel to more than 100,000.

For Ukraine, that looming expansion is driving a brutal calculation: if drones are the future of this war, the fastest way to stop them may be to eliminate the people flying them.

Ukraine unleashes units to hunt Russian drone pilots

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