Why can’t the war be won with drones alone, and what role do assault units play in modern warfare? How…
What should pay look like at the frontline and in the rear to sufficiently motivate military service?
Why can’t the war be won with drones alone, and what role do assault units play in modern warfare?
How can a unit integrate such different categories of service members — volunteers, mobilized personnel, former convicts, and those returning after unauthorised absence?
Captain Dmytro Filatov, callsign Perun — commander of the 1st Separate Assault Regiment, established on the basis of the unit founded by Hero of Ukraine Dmytro “Da Vinci” Kotsiubailo — answered ArmyInform’s questions.
— The 1st Separate Assault Regiment has grown from a volunteer formation into a regiment within the Ukrainian Ground Forces. How did this transformation happen, and what did it bring to your personnel and the unit’s combat capabilities?
— This path was begun by Dmytro “Da Vinci” Kotsiubailo, starting with the 1st Separate Assault Company, which was not part of the Armed Forces. It was a volunteer formation.
Later, during the full-scale invasion, Dmytro joined the Armed Forces and began uniting different volunteer cells — both those who were already in regular units and those in similar volunteer formations.
Between 2014 and 2022, he developed a very large network of military contacts. He invited many of them to join forces and establish a formation within the Special Operations Forces.
Soon, the unit grew so large that the SOF’s staffing limits could no longer accommodate us. On top of that, we had captured a great deal of trophy weapons and wanted to keep them, but SOF regulations did not allow this. So we were offered the option of forming a mechanized battalion.
Thus, even during Dmytro’s lifetime, a separate mechanized battalion was created and became part of the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade. After “Da Vinci’s” death, it was led by Yuriy Kapusta.
Since our unit had its own traditions and had always conducted aggressive offensive actions, we were then offered to reorganize the mechanized battalion into an assault battalion. That is how we became one of the first newly created assault battalions.
Later, after Yuriy Kapusta, I became the commander, and we grew into a separate assault regiment.
— You’ve mentioned your unit’s founder, Hero of Ukraine Dmytro “Da Vinci” Kotsiubailo, several times. How does his legacy influence the spirit and traditions of the regiment?
— First and foremost, it is about memory and respect. Dmytro made a heroic contribution to the unit’s creation. Today’s war is very different from 2014, so the regiment has acquired entirely new capabilities.
But the core traditions and internal culture remain from the volunteer stage.
We preserve the traditions laid down by Dmytro: in our regiment, everyone treats each other as equals, and professional qualities are respected above all. Most of our officers started as soldiers — today they are battalion commanders, deputies, company commanders, and platoon leaders.
At the same time, we also have career officers in positions requiring specialized knowledge and qualifications. That mix is a distinctive feature of our unit.
— The regiment’s fighters have been through some of the hottest spots of the war: from the defense of Kyiv in spring 2022 to the Kharkiv counteroffensive, the liberation of Balakliia, Kupiansk, and Izium. In winter and spring 2023, they fought in Bakhmut, Soledar, and Klishchiivka. What lessons did your unit draw from these diverse operations?
— Our unit is constantly improving. Every month we aim to be better than we are today.
Each stage of our combat history gave us valuable experience, which we now pass on to everyone who joins the regiment — both the existing personnel and new recruits.
We’ve gained highly diverse combat experience. Perhaps the only domains we lack are at sea and in the air. But we’ve mastered urban warfare, forests, fields, and trenches across all seasons — winter, spring, summer, autumn.
I believe our unit has acquired unique experience in modern warfare because we are always deployed at the hottest spots and hardest sections of the front. The enemy there is always very strong, which means we must become even stronger.
— You noted that aggressive offensive action is a defining trait of your unit. What role do assault units play within the Armed Forces in today’s war?
— The importance of assault formations in modern warfare cannot be overstated.
Why? Because, as in any fight — even in boxing — you cannot win by staying in defense alone. You win only by going on the attack. Defense alone cannot win a war.
Our unit has never been deployed somewhere “quiet.” We are always in contact, always focused on destroying the enemy. If the enemy is weak, we press forward. If they are strong, we wear them down, maneuver, and destroy as many as possible to make progress possible.
Not everyone can acquire the skills of assault troops. It requires harsh experience and constant self-discipline. Commanders must combine academy knowledge with real combat leadership. Soldiers must see their commander as a leader they want to follow.
That is why it is so difficult to grow such leaders in sufficient numbers for a large army. We managed, perhaps, because of the nature of our formation — people joined us who truly wanted to fight for Ukraine.
— Recruitment is critical now. How do you replenish personnel and organize recruitment into the regiment?
— We work on several fronts. First, we sign contracts. Unfortunately, our regiment was not included in the “Contract 18–24” program, which would have helped us recruit more young people. So we recruit Ukrainians over 24 years old.
Second, we recruit service members from unauthorised absence. We visit reserve battalions, talk to people, and tell them about our unit.
Third, we recruit from training centers, where we select motivated soldiers who later become true assault troops.
Finally, there are convicts recruited from colonies.
— There are different opinions about service members returning from unauthorised absence. How do you feel about the initiative to ease their reintegration?
— Often, a UA (unauthorised absence) is simply a way for a soldier to move from one unit to another where they can be more effective.
Another reason is family. Annual leave of 30 days is not enough. Many soldiers lose their families because they cannot spend enough time with them. UA sometimes help resolve that.
So I support the initiative for simplified return after UA.
— What about former convicts? How do they integrate into your regiment?
— Former convicts, like mobilized soldiers, eventually become fighters. At first, they struggle with discipline and communication, seeing commanders as “administrators” rather than leaders who care about their survival.
But after the first battles, they adapt, understand military culture, and integrate. Some had past issues with drugs, so they require close supervision.
Overall, many have already carried out difficult missions and earned my respect.
— How do you integrate such different groups — volunteers, mobilized personnel, convicts, and UA — into one cohesive regiment?
— Through an adaptation period, usually around a month. We mix new soldiers with experienced ones, so they learn directly from veterans during combat.
Over time, they themselves become experienced, and then they mentor the next newcomers.
— How is rotation and rest organized for your fighters?
— It is very difficult to ensure enough rest. Assault actions are extremely exhausting — physically, emotionally, and mentally. Soldiers can spend 7–14 days in assaults.
When they come out, they are dehydrated and drained. Three days is not enough. Ideally, after a week of assaults, they need up to two weeks of rest.
We advocate increasing annual leave from 30 to 60 days. This would let soldiers spend real time with families, maintain relationships, and return to civilian life more naturally afterward.
— How is the regiment supplied — with weapons, ammunition, food, and clothing?
— Ammunition is sufficient. We have what we need for combat. For example, we use APC-4E (armored personnel carriers), which have proven excellent in battle. We also operate new “Bohdana” self-propelled howitzers, which have been very effective.
Food supply is also solid — soldiers eat well, including fruit, fish, and meat. Commanders have flexibility to contract with suppliers.
Clothing and gear are adequate. Quality uniforms, footwear, and ballistic protection are provided, though improvements are possible — especially lighter modern armor.
— And what about pay? Is it sufficient?
— An infantry soldier on the frontline earns a base salary of 20,000–27,000 UAH ( ~$486-$656), plus 100,000 UAH (~$2 431) combat pay and an additional 70,000 UAH (~$1 702), with further bonuses possible. Altogether, frontline assault troops may receive up to 200,000 UAH (~$4 836) per month.
But rear personnel at permanent deployment points earn only 20,000 UAH (~$486). They work without weekends or normal hours, unlike civilians. Many cannot cover family needs with that salary.
This creates a motivation gap. If a man knows he can earn 30,000 UAH (~$729) as a loader in Kyiv with weekends and family nearby, he may choose that instead of service. This pay issue must be addressed.
— You are forming a UAV battalion. How do you assess the role of drones and modern technologies in this war?
— We are actively recruiting for our UAV battalion. We have skilled instructors and provide everything necessary for training.
Drones are crucial — they are the technological breakthrough of today’s war, just as tanks were in WWI and multiple launch rocket systems in WWII.
The “Drone Line” initiative is extremely important, but drones alone are not enough. Without infantry and assault units, UAVs cannot win the war.
That is why we need balanced development: UAVs, infantry, assault forces, airborne troops, and also ground robotic systems, which we are already testing in logistics and plan to expand into combat use.
I am sure that in the future, ground robotics will become another key direction of technological development for our Armed Forces.
