New frontline report from David Kirichenko
Russia’s war on Ukraine has changed the nature of modern warfare, most notably through the use of drones both on and off the battlefield. In his latest piece for HURI, journalist David Kirichenko describes embedding with Ukraine’s 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade, a drone unit fighting on the front lines. His report shows what drone-dominated warfare looks like on the ground: supply runs under surveillance, soldiers fighting through screens, and fragments of normal life amid constant danger. Alongside photojournalist Ryan Van Ert, Kirichenko captures the harrowing experience of drone warfare and the soldiers navigating this entirely new landscape of modern war. Together, Kirichenko and Van Ert convey the reality of this war in a way many of us who are far from the front lines can only imagine.
David Kirichenko is a Ukrainian-American freelance journalist who has worked on the frontlines throughout the Russo-Ukrainian War. His previous reports for the Ukrainian Research Institute have covered the delivery of crowd-sourced drone supplies to frontline units, the human cost of the war along various fronts, and the personal and historical resonance of the war. He joined the Temerty Contemporary Ukraine Program for its inaugural Georgia-Ukraine Seminar on journalism in times of war and uncertainty. As part of his ongoing coverage from the front lines, he regularly delivers needed supplies to military units. If you are interested in supporting this work, please consider making a donation to Dzyga’s Paw, a verified charity based in Ukraine.