Editor’s Note: The Renew Democracy Initiative—publisher of The Next Move—is in Ukraine! We’ll be sharing daily dispatches from our delegation. Premium subscribers will receive each Ukraine Dispatch 24 hours before anyone else. Be the first to get on-the-ground news from the frontlines of freedom by upgrading to join our premium subscriber community today! All proceeds go to support the work of the Renew Democracy Initiative, including humanitarian assistance to communities in Ukraine.
Uriel Epshtein is the CEO of the Renew Democracy Initiative, which publishes The Next Move.
Ukrainian UAVs—that is, unmanned aerial vehicles—are in the news.
In my last dispatch, I mentioned this week’s massive Russian drone attack. Over the last four years, Moscow has launched around 60,000 Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones at Ukraine, killing innocent people and wrecking civilian infrastructure.
Now, Russia’s Iranian allies are using those same Shaheds against American servicemembers and allies in the Middle East. Kyiv’s expertise in drone interception is in high demand because of the Iran war.
So what better time to meet with one of the senior-most officers in Ukraine’s military?
The Renew Democracy Initiative’s delegation had the opportunity to get together with Colonel Pavlo Yelizarov, deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force. He built out Ukraine’s most effective UAV unit, and I want to share some of his insights in drone warfare with you.
Premium subscribers have access to this entire Ukraine Dispatch right now! If you are not yet a member of our premium subscriber community, you can upgrade to continue reading.