A firefighting helicopter is deployed following a Ukrainian drone attack as black smoke rises from the Gazprom Neft oil refinery in Moscow, June 18, 2026.
image: imago / Sefa Karacan Anadolu
They attack deep in Russian territory and as far away as Moscow, but live in absolute secrecy: Ukrainian drone pilots talk about their everyday lives, which are characterized by discretion, security rules and vigilance.
July 4, 2026, 8:50 p.mJuly 4, 2026, 8:50 p.m
Ania TSOUKANOVA and Mykola ZAVGORODNIY, Kyiv, Ukraine / AFP
Encrypted communication, relatives who know nothing of their mission, cash payments: Ukrainian soldiers who were involved in recent drone attacks on Moscow talk about their life “in the shadows” in a rare conversation.
Denys (name changed) has been involved in long-range attacks since 2025. However, his friends and even his parents don’t know anything about it. The reason for this is the extremely strict security rules in his unit.
translation
This text was written by our colleagues from French-speaking Switzerland and we translated it for you.
Achievements that must remain secret for a lifetime
The message is simple: “Don’t stand out, don’t brag. “You will never be able to talk about your merits, not even after the war,” summarizes the soldier in his thirties.
The former Marine serves at the No. 1 Center of the Ukrainian Drone Force. This was involved in the most spectacular attacks against Russia, especially in June Moscow and St. Petersburg.
More than four years after the start of the Russian invasion that left tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dead in Ukraine, Kiev has been intensifying these long-range attacks for months.
The Ukrainian army now attacks refineries, pipelines and oil depots in Russia almost every week. In doing so, she wants to deprive Moscow of income from the sale of petroleum products, which have been used in particular to finance the war in Ukraine since 2022.
These attacks often spark huge fires that are visible from several kilometers away. However, their impact on Russian production remains difficult to assess. Denys says:
“We are a very sought-after and priority target for the enemy.”
Smoke rises after a Ukrainian drone attack on the oil port of Tuapse in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar.
image: imago / Boris Morozov
A life in the shadows
The names and even the exact ages of these soldiers remain secret. You can only take photos or film them with your face covered. Journalists had to follow strict security protocols to gain rare access to a long-range drone launch site in May.
“We know the cost that this can have on our relatives and ourselves,” says another soldier from Center No. 1 with the nom de guerre Voron (“Raven”). He is married and has one child.
Therefore, it was a “conscious decision to stay in the shadows,” adds the long-haired man, who was a painter before the invasion. His wife suspects what he is doing, but she “doesn’t ask any questions.”
He and his comrades avoid being even remotely associated with the “deep strikes” in Russia, which receive many laudatory comments on Ukrainian social networks. The soldier explains:
“All my family and friends believe that I am still in the special forces.”
Many precautionary measures to remain inconspicuous
On social networks, he continues to write on the pages of his former unit or publish photos with their badges. Security in communication is central.
Whether in use or not: The phones – including private ones – remain permanently in flight mode and only work with mobile routers that the soldiers carry with them, as the two drone pilots and a member of the Ukrainian military intelligence service GUR describe. The GUR soldier with the battle name Wolf explains:
“You wouldn’t recognize us in everyday life. Maximum discretion is required in order to appear like ordinary people.”
Voron adds: “You imagine us as a kind of commando in camouflage clothing, but in reality we wear shirts and jeans.”
There are no conversations about missions at gas stations, in shops or on the street. Words like “start” or “wing” should be avoided. Bank cards for payments and loyalty cards, which are very popular in Ukraine because they allow you to save on gas, are banned.
The dream of a complete defeat of Russia
All military communication takes place via encrypted telephones provided by the unit and equipped with encrypted software for the exchange. Particular attention is paid to devices with geolocation, which are strictly prohibited.
If an incident occurs, the people involved must take a lie detector test to rule out a leak of information. Such tests are also used on some new recruits.
A burning Russian tanker truck. Ukrainian attacks on Russian supply routes have been putting the Kremlin under pressure since this spring.
image: x.com / OSINT
If a team is discovered, they can be hit by a Russian missile or drone within minutes. The GUR soldier admits that such incidents have already caused injuries and deaths.
The expansion of long-range attacks, which, according to Denys, are now part of a “certain routine,” was prepared by campaigns with medium-range attacks on Russian air defenses.
Today it is not drones that are missing, but “the hours in the day” to launch them, says Denys. He hopes to one day meet the Kremlin and dreams of a “complete defeat of Russia.”
For the Russians, long-range attacks are like “ice that breaks underfoot.” He concludes: “We are doing everything we can to make it give way.”
Russian narrative on the Ukraine war refuted
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin in 2023. It is based on the well-founded suspicion that the Russian president is responsible for mass deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia.
As the Russian commander-in-chief, Putin is also responsible for numerous war crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, such as the rape and murder of women and children. He is also responsible for the bombing of the Ukrainian civilian population.
(dsc)