Vadym Sukharevsky, the man in charge of Ukraine’s drones
Ukraine hopes its new drone command will help it regain the upper hand
VADYM SUKHAREVSKY IS used to a seat in history’s front row. Ten years ago, in April 2014, his machineguns were the first to fire in Ukraine’s anti-terror operation, as the initial phase of the armed struggle against Russia was known. At the time, Ukraine’s forces were under a strict “no fire” order, even as Russian proxy fighters ran amok in the eastern Ukrainian town of Slovyansk. But the then lieutenant had little hesitation when it became clear that the enemy was preparing an ambush. “See it, shoot it,” he told his soldiers at the time. His fast thinking is credited with saving a dozen lives. The phrase is now embroidered on the gaming chair that swivels at his new command desk.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Robocommander”
Europe July 27th 2024
- The Germany-shaped void at Europe’s heart
- Vadym Sukharevsky, the man in charge of Ukraine’s drones
- Italian right-wingers have renamed Milan’s airport after Silvio Berlusconi
- European countries are banding together on missile defence
- Peter Magyar is reinvigorating Hungary’s struggling opposition
- To understand the perils of AI, look to a Czech novel—from 1936
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