Drones Have Created "no-fly Zones" Up To 25 Kilometers Deep Along The Front Lines
- 15.08.2026, 20:10
A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer described how the war has changed over the past four years.
Over more than four years of full-scale war, both the Ukrainian army and the front lines themselves have changed radically. Andrei Onistrat , an officer with the Central Directorate for Innovation Activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a military officer, and a well-known entrepreneur and banker, spoke about this in an interview with “Naspravdi”Andriy Onistrat—an officer with the Central Directorate for Innovation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a military officer, and a well-known entrepreneur and banker—spoke about this.
“This is a completely different army than the one we had in 2022. Well, completely different. That is, right now, 98% of the military consists of non-professionals. The remaining 2% are professional soldiers. In fact, this is a very profound issue. The culture of relationships and communication is changing—there’s more initiative, more horizontal connections, and more displays of charisma. In other words, all of this is working and is beginning to make a significant difference compared to the situation in 2022. And these factors are intensifying,” he noted.
Also, according to Onistrat, the nature of combat operations on the front lines has changed beyond recognition. What was the norm four years ago is unimaginable today.
“The situation, especially on the front lines, is no longer the same as it was in 2022. Back then, I would simply drive up in broad daylight, unload my gear, turn around, and drive off to some grove. But now there are ‘kill zones’ stretching 20–25 km. And that’s only on foot, only with an NRC, only on your back. This means that once a soldier takes up a position, it’s just as hard to get out as it is to get in. That’s why they stay there for a long time,” the soldier noted.
According to Onistrat, in 2022, drone pilots stayed at their positions for only three days at a time, and even that seemed like a long time back then. But now, the military officer explains, no one complains if they have to stay at a position for 40 days straight.
“They just come out afterward and say, ‘That’s it, I’m going home for a week.’ And that’s normal,” Onistrat noted.