'Quick Judgment, Sharp Eyes, Agile Fingers' The Identity of the Ukrainian Sniper Who Killed 300 People

Over 300 Russian Soldiers Killed Alone in One and a Half Years
Ukraine Integrates Drone Units into Military Structure

Foreign media have taken notice of the drone pilots playing a 'one against a hundred' role on the Ukrainian battlefield with their 'quick judgment, sharp eyes, and agile fingers.' On the 3rd (local time), the US Wall Street Journal (WSJ) highlighted the Ukrainian drone pilots in an article titled "The Eccentric Gamers Who Became Ukraine's Deadliest Drone Pilots," stating, "Aerial drone pilots are the deadliest soldiers in modern warfare, much like machine gunners or snipers of the last century."

Ukraine is the first country to integrate drone units into its military organization. Last year, a woman in her 50s, a grandmother with six grandchildren, made headlines by enlisting as a drone pilot to defend the country.
[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

According to WSJ's report, the Ukrainian military created unmanned zones on the front lines to prevent Russian forces from crossing the defense lines. Although the Russian army advanced gradually, they failed to find a breakthrough and suffered heavy losses from drones deployed in the unmanned zones. One of the drone pilots, Oleksandro Darkno (29), recently inflicted significant damage on Russian forces by flying bomb drones in a recent battle.

He is known to have single-handedly eliminated about 300 Russian soldiers over approximately a year and a half. This number exceeds that of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in the US military during the Iraq War. Notably, the Ukrainian drone unit has many comrades who have achieved even higher enemy kill counts than Darkno. Darkno said he spent his childhood deeply immersed in video games. Once considered a geek who only played games, he has now transformed into a sniper excelling in war.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is the first country to integrate drone units into its military organization. Last year, a woman in her 50s with six grandchildren made headlines by enlisting as a drone pilot to defend her country. Ukrainian drone units reportedly operate smoothly with their own technology hubs and bomb manufacturing factories. First-person view drones (FPV), which are fast, agile, and piloted by operators watching real-time screens to inflict greater damage, are produced in tens of thousands every month at local factories.

Ukraine is the first country to integrate drone units into its military organization. Last year, a woman in her 50s with six grandchildren made headlines by enlisting as a drone pilot to defend the country.
[Photo by Reuters·Yonhap News]

WSJ described "drone pilots as an attractive military branch," noting that "compared to other roles like infantry, they have superior safety as they engage the enemy from a distance." The report added, "Russia can deploy more drones in the skies over the battlefield, but Ukraine holds the advantage in drone pilot proficiency and technology," explaining that "as the war prolongs and Ukraine's artillery and ammunition run low, they increasingly rely on drone tactics."