Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s Khartiya drone brigade

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The brigade’s spokesperson, Sergeant Volodymyr Dehtyarev, said Khartiya is committed to creating a “new Ukrainian army” using Nato standards of training that, unlike the Soviet-style hierarchical structures that still linger in many parts of the Ukrainian military, show respect for every member of the fighting force and use education and discussion to cultivate, rather than suppress, individual initiative. “On a night like this, we’re also thinking about our comrades that have been killed and will never see their families again or those who have been badly wounded.” open image in gallery Drone unit member Bandera One of the brigade’s chaplains, protestant Pastor Oleksandr, visited the bases talking with those who wanted to speak with him and leading a short prayer meeting. The unit’s commander, with the call-sign Makalatura, explained there had been unusually fierce battles raging all day on Christmas Eve as waves of Russian troops accompanied the Khartiya Brigade section he is responsible for protecting. But on Christmas Eve he had sent Vampire drones on three unplanned flights in support of his fellow Khartiya brigade members whose positions had been in danger of falling to Russian forces.