On the Dobropillia motorway, in the East Ukrainian, a car lies, a gaping hole as an engine, the doors constelled with bursts: it has just been touched by a Russian drone, more than 25 km from the front.
• Read also: War in Ukraine: Trump’s words will push Kyïv to continue the conflict, according to Moscow
For months, Moscow has been attacking men and vehicles with small FPV drones (“First Person View”, or “subjective view” in French). With an on -board camera, these devices allow their pilots to see the images of the field live as if they were on board.
These drones remain identical to those found in the trade, but are equipped with explosives.
AFP
If, after three years of murderous invasion of Ukraine by Russia, their use has become common on both sides, their number and their scope are constantly increasing.
To protect it, Commander Denis and his team cover the Donbass roads of kilometers of green nets, mounted on four -meter posts, giving all the gaits of giant tennis courts which extends across fields.
“When a drone strikes the net, its race is short-circuited and it cannot target vehicles,” said the young 27-year-old brigadier.
AFP
Effective protection, according to Ukrainian soldiers, even if the Russian pilots manage to penetrate the nets by openings and await, from the inside, the passage of vehicles to attack.
The Russian army also covers its road axes to house the supply lines close to the front, according to a report by the Russian Defense Ministry dating from April.
Eyes to the sky
“It’s the drone war,” says Denis. His team and are protected by soldiers equipped with shotguns responsible for shooting the FPV, who have already seriously injured several of his men. “Even civilians ended up getting used to it,” said the commander.
AFP
Under the nets, a Soviet car is, a white flag hanging on the antenna, in the hope of not being targeted.
Wait in a small café-supervisor in Dobropillia, Olga ended up taking amazing reflexes: “When I drive, I open the windows to avoid the glass bursts if the drone touches me,” she explains to AFP with a disconcerting naturalness.
Olga, 45, also keeps her bag on the seat next to her “to be able to jump quickly” from the car in the event of an attack.
AFP
Behind his counter, the blonde with electric blue eyes listens to the stories of her customers, victims of daily attacks.
“I was continued by an FPV on 200 meters,” says one, “he fell in front of me,” describes the other by making gestures to the sky.
New tactic
The danger is not limited to roads. Since early July, the Russian army has started using its FPV drones to hit the city of Dobropillia.
AFP
According to Ukrainian soldiers, it is the first time that a city so far from the front has been massively and daily affected, revealing new Russian tactics.
However, the streets seem peaceful, mothers shop with their children. But, when they do not have their eyes in the air to try to see drones, they keep them on the phone, to learn about the Telegram messaging of the presence of FPV above the city.
Suddenly, a disaster zonzonment of drone fills the atmosphere. Everyone rushes into stores and crouches, faces distorted by fear.
AFP
The past threat, a woman gets shyly out of her shelter, her nose to the sky, then resumes her shopping bags left on the ground and leaves as if nothing had happened. A scary show that has become daily.
The neighborhood of Olga was recently affected by an FPV, leaving its owner in a coma. A “frightening” atmosphere has settled in town, she describes.
“Now we jump to each air flow,” Olga tells AFP. “The day passes, the night passes, and we are happy to wake up, with still arms and legs”.
AFP
All in danger
Despite the attacks on the roads, Olga receives what she needs to turn her little coffee, suppliers making a detour by paths more distant from the front.
But she does not know for how long: “Everything is pending now, we live day by day,” she says.
AFP
Every day, the victims flock to the small city hospital. According to its director, Vadym Babkov, the FPV “spare neither medical workers nor civilians”.
As the roads “are not yet 100 %covered” by the nets, ambulances must take several kilometers, reducing the hope of patient survival, explains the 60 -year -old man.
“Now we are all in danger,” concludes Vadym, dark.
