The headlights cast a glow on a group of soldiers enjoying cigarettes and sipping hot coffee beside a road in northeastern Ukraine.
A light sleet falls during yet another frigid night, settling upon the silhouette of a Soviet-era anti-aircraft gun that is mounted on an old, worn-out truck.
These individuals belong to a mobile air defense unit, gearing up for yet another night dedicated to tracking and attempting to eliminate Russian drones flying towards cities and power facilities throughout Ukraine.
We spent over 48 hours with the units stationed in the southern part of the city of Sumy, close to the Russian border.
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Captain Serhii of the 117th Brigade oversees 160 soldiers across eight mobile units tasked with securing this particular region of northeastern Ukraine.
Commander Serhii monitoring for drones on his scanner
We rendezvoused with him in an empty parking lot adjacent to a high-rise residential building in Sumy.
As he sat in his 4×4, he focused intently as his scanner indicated several drones on a flight path approaching from Russia.
The wailing of air raid sirens echoed in the distance.
He gestured for us to follow him, accelerating into the night while skillfully maneuvering through checkpoints along deserted, shadowy country lanes.
He had indicated the presence of a nearby drone, yet we were perplexed when he abruptly veered off the road and leaped out of his vehicle.
In mere moments, the night sky erupted as mobile anti-aircraft batteries discharged rounds upwards.
Bullets zoomed above us, and we could hear the steady hum of the passing drone overhead.
Searchlights glinted off the damp, thick fog that obscured the countryside, creating crisscrossing patterns in the sky as the units endeavored to locate the drone.
Ultimately, they failed to identify or intercept it, and gradually the sound of its engines faded until all was quiet.
“Considering the current weather conditions, it’s quite foggy, so we are primarily relying on sound, as thermal imaging and other technology are ineffective,” Captain Serhii explained.
“Using a spotlight is futile; while the drones do not fly at significant speeds, bad weather renders them almost impossible to hit,” he added.
Every evening throughout Ukraine, the tarps covering these aging Soviet-era anti-aircraft weapons are removed in preparation for action.
They rumble into the night on their battered trucks to establish defensive positions.
These antiquated weapons serve as the primary line of defense against the escalating frequency of drone assaults from Russia.
According to the units stationed here, they typically encounter two categories of drones deployed concurrently: Gerberas and Shaheds.
While Gerberas are not equipped with explosive payloads, they are intended to disrupt Ukraine’s air defense systems; conversely, the Iranian-sourced Shahed drones are armed with explosives and have pre-defined targets.
One of the soldiers, Volodymyr, keeps track of the drones on a handheld tablet. The entire team congregates, monitoring the screen and attentively listening.
“They typically operate at altitudes ranging from 200 to 300 meters up to 3 kilometers,” Volodymyr informs me.
“If they are flying below 300 meters above sea level, our radar fails to detect them.”
The soldiers begin to gather around their anti-aircraft artillery as a drone approaches our vicinity.
Stuart Ramsay and Volodymyr
The gunner swiftly climbs onto the truck, searching for the target on a radar linked to his weapon.
He will take aim when the target is within a 10-kilometer range from his position.
Suddenly, the stillness of the nighttime field is shattered by the thunderous noise of gunfire as the gunner targets the drone.
Simultaneously, other units in the fields around us join in the onslaught – it is so dark that we had no inkling of their presence.
The intensity is relentless.
Captain Serhii expresses that their crucial task would be significantly simplified with more advanced weaponry such as the American-made Patriot defense system.
“We urgently require a more robust and automated air defense system that can function independently of human command,” he stated.
“With winter approaching, our personnel who are on duty around the clock will confront extremely harsh conditions; they are not made of steel, so an automated system would be optimal.”
Anti-aircraft unit engaging drones from their vehicle
He is convinced that any diplomatic efforts with Russia will ultimately lead to negative outcomes for Ukraine.
“A frozen conflict usually just signifies a brief cessation of hostilities, and one cannot place trust in [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, as any agreement reached is likely to favor Russia,” he explained to me.
“They will gather supplies, additional Shahed drones, missiles, personnel, even reinforcements from North Korea, and when they return, they will be stronger than they were in 2022.”
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We accompany another mobile unit, positioned beside an empty road as they monitor yet another Iranian Shahed drone.
It approaches our direction, and they are poised to determine if it will enter their striking range.
It does, prompting them to engage – unleashing potent rounds towards their target.
The vivid flashes of red, orange, and yellow from the weapon illuminate an otherwise pitch-black sky.
During the 48-hour duration we spent with the anti-aircraft units in this portion of the Sumy region, Russia introduced an unprecedented number of drones into Ukraine.
Ukraine, reciprocally, has also deployed a monumental number of drones against Russia, yet this figure pales in comparison to the Russian onslaught.
Night after frigid night, these Ukrainian defenders, numbering in the hundreds around this city, will operate these artillery pieces.
The final barrier of defense – not ideal, but certainly preferable to having none.
