A Ukrainian teenager made himself famous for spotting a Russian convoy approaching his town via his own drone. By doing so, he managed to provide valuable real-time positional information, which allowed Ukrainian artillery to destroy it.

After confirming the Russian convoy’s position, the young man passed the information along to his father, who in turn sent it to the Ukrainian military via a social media channel.

The 15-year-old boy’s name is Andrii Pokrasa. He is among several hundred civilian drone operators providing the country’s forces with help by scrutinising the area from the sky.  

As Andy Corbley from Wold at Large reports, the Federation of Drone Owners of Ukraine has worked since late February alongside the military, while also encouraging hundreds of their members to conduct reconnaissance missions.

Andrii Pokrasa’s intervention, which has been confirmed to Global News Canada by a Ukrainian, was the main reason the Russian military convoy didn’t overrun his hometown. 

“He’s a real hero, a hero of Ukraine” – according to Yurii Kasjanov, the commander of the armed forces’ unmanned reconnaissance section. 

“He was the only one who was experienced with drones in that region” – he explained.

Surprisingly, Andrii Pokrasa always suffered from a fear of heights. He became interested in drones after watching an online video filmed above the skyline of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Image: Courtesy of the Pokrasa family

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen