The black box on the army truck dashboard, known as "sugar," is a revered device among the soldiers, lighting up with warnings when Russian drones are overhead. Driving quickly along a dark country road near the front lines outside Kharkiv, Senior Lt. Yevhenii, 53, from the Khartia Brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard, explains that the vehicle's drone-jamming equipment blocks roughly 75% of drone communication frequencies, though it struggles against the powerful Zala Lancet drones. Despite not being a primary target, Yevhenii advises against slowing down due to the danger.

A year ago, Ukraine lacked much of this technology, but drones are now central to the war effort. Russian drones pose significant threats, attacking both military and civilian targets, such as the recent assault on Kharkiv. Ukraine counters with its own drones, which are crucial along the front lines. One soldier reports daily Russian casualties of around 100, with drone footage often showing panicked soldiers moments before their deaths. Aeneas, the brigade's 37-year-old drone commander, highlights the shift from infantry warfare to drone battles, driven by necessity and innovation. Drones are more plentiful, though less powerful than artillery, and Ukraine has faced shortages of artillery shells despite allied pledges.

Russia also innovates with older technology, using glide bombs to devastating effect. The village of Lyptsi, near the Russian border, suffered heavily from these bombs. Svitlana, a resident, recounts the terrifying explosions and fires that drove her into hiding. Aeneas takes us to his drone teams in Lyptsi, where every vehicle is equipped with drone-jamming equipment. He leads us to an underground base where drone operators Yakut and Petro work, their surroundings littered with drones and equipment. They use modified First Person View (FPV) drones, originally for filming events, now armed with explosives.

I watch as Yakut pilots a drone towards a Russian hideout, ultimately detonating it inside a building. Another team targets a Russian armored vehicle, successfully striking it. These teams operate around the clock, enduring the constant threat of glide bombs, which recently shook their building. Petro starkly states that a direct hit would mean death.

Aeneas shows a recording of a drone eliminating a Russian soldier hiding in a drainage culvert. The operators, detached from the immediate violence, remain clinical in their work. At an infantry trench, a unit commander believes Ukraine has the upper hand in drone warfare, though Russia has numerical superiority and glide bombs. The soldiers tense up as a Russian drone approaches but passes by without incident.

The brigade's largest drone, the Vampire, is prepared for a mission targeting a Russian command post. Under the sound of artillery fire, the team assembles the drone in Lyptsi. They take cover from a passing Russian drone, resuming only when it's safe. The drone takes off as Russian glide bombs explode nearby, shaking their position.

Ukraine's allies, like the UK, see supporting the drone effort as both strategic and instructive. British military head Admiral Sir Tony Radakin aims to learn from Ukraine's drone warfare for future conflicts. As we leave, Aeneas notes that Ukraine's approach to war is pioneering, and other nations are learning from their tactics.