Inside Killhouse Academy, where Ukraine

In a disused warehouse at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, a military drone instructor who uses the call sign “DC” showed News themezone a makeshift practice course in which students must learn to fly the increasingly indispensable devices before joining the country’s defense against Russia.

Students must master the operation of the small but powerful first-person view (FPV) drones, which have become a signature weapon in the ongoing war sparked by the full-scale invasion of Russia in February 2022.

“On the battlefield, all you have to do is travel as far as possible and fly, with a signal so bad your eyes will bleed,” DC said calmly as he flew a practice drone across the field at Killhouse Academy.

Both civilians and military personnel learn at the academy to pilot FPV drones, and use them as lethal weapons, both through computer simulations and flying and shooting practices with real drones.

Practice and patience are essential, said DC, one of the men in charge of training Ukraine’s next generation of defenders.

“You have to be calm, you can’t see a target and, for example, run at it like a bull. You have to be able to think, observe and detect your target,” said DC, “it’s the hardest part of the job.”

Despite their small size, drones represent an important advancement in modern warfare. Once equipped with an explosive charge, remote operators can quickly pilot them to distant targets via a live feed from a camera mounted on the weapons.

“To save lives, save money and time, you have to go understaffed. Because if you use manpower, you’ll only go so far,” DC said.

The U.S. military has closely monitored the widespread use of cheaper, expendable drones in the nearly four-year war in Ukraine. On June 6, President Trump signed the executive order “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,” aiming to shore up domestic production of cheap and lethal drones.

The Pentagon recently announced its intention to purchase 200,000 drones with lethal capabilities by 2027, as part of what it calls the Drone Mastery Program.

For both Ukrainian and Russian troops on the battlefield, drones are already a reality and, by some estimates, account for around 80% of military casualties in Ukraine. They have revolutionized warfare and given Ukraine a way to try to level the playing field against Russia, which has many, many more soldiers to send to the front.

“If you want to survive, you will find the best solution,” DC told News themezone.

He said he was not sure how many Russian soldiers he had killed on the battlefield, but was now focused on training others to compete with Russian drone operators. He compared it to an arms race.

“Only those who adapt survive. Adaptability is key,” he said. “It’s a constant race for us and for them to find an advantage over the enemy.”