50 kilometers under surveillance: how Ukrainian reconnaissance wings are turning the enemy rear into a continuous kill zone

On the Novopavlivka axis, Ukrainian fixed-wing reconnaissance UAVs have created an area where it is almost impossible for the enemy to remain unnoticed.

Every step here can become the last for an occupier, as the entire territory has effectively been turned into a continuous kill zone thanks to drones.

ArmiyaInform spent a day at the position of the “Domakha” reconnaissance wing crew of the 42nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Hero of Ukraine Valerii Hudz.

“The wing can fly into places where the enemy most often hides something”

“We were flying once, not bothering anyone. We saw a vehicle entering a hangar. It already looked suspicious. That’s a place where something can be hidden. We passed the information to the duty officer, and he sent an FPV there. When they flew in, they saw an Msta artillery system there. And everything that could fly went in there,” recalls one of his recent missions, the crew commander with the callsign “Ramiro”.

He is the pilot-navigator of the “Domakha” UAV. His aircraft is already in the air, so while it flies over our positions to reach the enemy rear, there is time for a brief conversation.

“The wing, unlike a ‘Mavic’, can fly into places where the enemy most often hides things. They try to accumulate forces there in order to advance later. We fly up to 50 kilometers. Sometimes even further. We detect positions, equipment, and manpower. We pass this information on, and then our guys engage them. It is very useful to fly there,” says “Ramiro”.

When the aircraft enters enemy-controlled territory, we immediately see several roads covered with burned-out Russian equipment. In many ways, this is the result of the reconnaissance wings’ work, says “Ramiro”:

“When we arrived on this sector, the enemy was very active here. There were many movements. And we found a lot of targets. Our assets worked on them actively. Mostly FPV drones. So now we don’t see equipment often. They almost don’t use it anymore.”

“A tank is already visible from 40 kilometers behind the line of contact”

Reconnaissance wings provide Ukrainian units with the most valuable thing — information and time to react. And they also significantly expand the kill zone.

“It happens that a tank is moving about 40 kilometers away. And we already see it. There was an incident when we spotted a tank moving toward our positions. Very quickly, that tank was ‘taken down’ by a strike wing. Another wing was sent to finish it off. And meanwhile, a vehicle carrying personnel was passing by the tank. As a bonus, we also ‘took them out’. And we were correcting all of it. And this is far from the only such case,” recalls “Ramiro”.

Meanwhile, the aircraft returns to base. And immediately preparations for the next sortie begin. The crew works both day and night, weather permitting.

“When we go to launch or recover the aircraft, we always take a drone detector with us”

The aircraft is prepared for flight as a team effort. Operator with the callsign “Vest” controls the camera in the air and on the ground checks the technical condition of the aircraft, battery charge, and antenna connection. He also participates directly in launching “Domakha” into the air.
Safety during all these actions is a top priority.

“When we go to launch or recover the aircraft, we always take a drone detector with us. We also monitor what is in the sky using special software. There have already been several cases where something was flying above our position. So it is better to check everything,” says “Vest”.

“Domakha” is carried using a special grip to the launch point. This is done by “Nox”. In the crew, he performs the role of an analyst/decryption specialist. The aircraft is attached to a rubber launcher, tensioned, and within seconds it is airborne.

“A few seconds are enough to ‘lock on’ and precisely determine the target location”

“Nox” returns to his workstation.

“I am the person who sits at the computer and monitors the camera in real time. I record everything the aircraft finds — movement, equipment, personnel. All this is entered into the ‘Delta’ situational awareness system. There, all the information is visible to strike drone crews. And they engage these targets,” he explains.

A lot depends on his work — the speed at which reconnaissance information reaches command and how quickly they can respond. That’s why it is crucial to be able to orient quickly and accurately.

“It takes me just a few seconds to ‘lock on’ and precisely determine the target’s location. And then it depends on the situation — what exactly we found and who is available to engage. Of course, if we find a tank or armored vehicle, there is immediately a queue of people willing to work on it,” says “Nox”.

After several flights, the crew gets a short rest. But as weather permits, they will fly again in the evening and at night.

According to the pilots, Russian forces are extremely afraid of Ukrainian reconnaissance wings. This is also evident from radio intercepts.

“As soon as they realize we are in the air, they report briefly and nervously: ‘Caution, reconnaissance is flying,’” smiles “Ramiro”.