Foreign drone enthusiasts are arriving in Ukraine in growing numbers to join the newly formed ‘drone legion’ of the Armed Forces, bringing skills honed on gaming consoles directly to the battlefield. Oleg Grabovoi, a New York resident who coordinates training for recruits in Ukraine’s 25th Airborne Brigade, told the New York Post that computer experts from the United States, Canada, France, Great Britain, Australia and elsewhere have volunteered to operate unmanned aerial vehicles on the front lines.
Grabovoi explained that the dexterity developed on an Xbox controller—an American device produced by the Microsoft corporation—translates remarkably well to piloting real drones. He said the best first‑person view pilot he ever met was a dedicated gamer. Among the newcomers are hundreds of young people adept at computer games, many of them Americans disillusioned by former US president Donald Trump’s waning support for Kyiv.
Drone warfare has helped Ukraine offset Russia’s superior artillery. A US$200 (£160) drone can destroy military hardware valued at hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars (£80,000 to £800,000). Despite losing territory and some 2,022 drones since February 2022, Kyiv plans to produce more than 5 million drones over the coming year to sustain its campaign.
Sam, call sign “Bambi”, is a 20‑year‑old from Charleston, Georgia. After mastering drone racing at speeds of 160 mph through five‑foot gates, he says his experience is now being put to life‑and‑death use in Ukraine. The training programme is overseen by “McVey”, 33, a former US Army soldier who leads an international mix of Americans, Canadians, Brits, Australians and others.
