The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
The call sign “Cherkess” was given to Ivan back in 2010 during his conscript service in the airborne forces — bestowed by his sergeant. In 2014, that sergeant was killed in the war, and the call sign remained with Ivan as a memory and a personal commitment.
His story was published on the brigade’s channel.
“After Crimea in 2014, I already understood this would be for a long time. That’s when my ‘tour of Donbas’ began”, — the serviceman says.
In the “Khizhak” (Predator) Brigade, Cherkess served as an infantry platoon commander and later began mastering work with FPV drones.
“I was inspired by the work of Mad Yar’s Birds. Eventually, the commanders suggested working with them in the Pokrovsk direction — I agreed. For me, it’s the Rolls-Royce of the drone world”, — the soldier notes.
Cherkess now serves in the brigade’s unit countering enemy drones. He operates FPV interceptors — both day and night variants.
“The hardest part is prediction. Where they will fly, how they will change route, what they will come up with next. It’s a constant chess match”, — he explains.
Recently, the soldier shot down his first aerial target — an enemy fixed-wing Molniya drone.
“It’s the feeling that you are exactly where you should be. The war has been with me so long that I don’t remember life before”, — Cherkess concludes.
