Ukrainian Teen's Drone Hobby Helps Thwart Russian Troops

The 15-year-old drone pilot spotted the column of the Russian troops's position overhead as they were headed to Kyiv, according to a report.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, June 09, 2022 at 04:15 PM ET

Verified

Andrii Pokrasa said he was asked by civil defense officials to help provide GPS coordinates of Russian troops moving toward the capital. [YouTube Screenshot: Global News]

Key Takeaways:

A 15-year-old Ukrainian drone hobbyist, Andrii Pokrasa, used his personal drone to scout Russian troop movements, relaying critical coordinates that helped Ukrainian forces halt an invasion of Kyiv.
Drones, from commercial models to military-grade systems like the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2, have become significant "game changers" and "equalizers" in the Ukrainian conflict.
These unmanned aerial vehicles are employed for diverse purposes including reconnaissance, troop coordination, offensive actions against targets, and humanitarian aid.

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In the early days following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a 15-year-old drone hobbyist turned into a Ukrainian hero after he used his personal drone to surveil Russian troops advancing on his city, relaying their coordinates to defense forces near Kyiv, according to a report.

The information led to Ukrainian forces attacking the convoy of Russian soldiers and stopping their invasion of Kyiv, according to a report by Global News. The Canadian news outlet said it had confirmed the report with the boy’s parents, as well as the top official of Ukraine’s drone owners group and a commander with a Ukrainian military’s unmanned reconnaissance unit.