The capital's surroundings are also grappling with Russian drone attacks. "We believe they were Shahid drones. Unfortunately, this is yet another attack that has affected the region," says Iryna Pryanyshnikova, spokesperson for the Kiev regional police, following another incident.

Among the units fighting against Russian drones is "Mriya", named after the legendary and now destroyed giant aircraft. This team also destroys aircraft, albeit much smaller ones. "The effective range of our machine guns is up to two kilometers, but can reach up to six kilometers," claims Andriy, the commander of the unit, regarding their equipment.

Russia uses unmanned aircraft for both attacks and testing the air defense shield of cities. "Originally, when they started using drones, the goal was to destroy infrastructure. But now they send them in smaller numbers and less frequently. Drones are now primarily used to locate anti-aircraft defense objects," says Andriy.

The "Mriya" team is part of the air defense system. Instead of missile systems, they only have lighter machine guns. However, they have their own training program and know how to operate and eliminate drones. "Our unit guards the Pechersk and Holosivska districts of Kyiv. We are the last line of defense against Shahid drones," adds "Chleb," Andriy's colleague and the commander of aerial reconnaissance from the same unit.

Hills and elevated buildings also contribute to the protection of the four-million Ukrainian capital. Secret machine gun positions are often located on skyscrapers. A former real estate broker stopped selling houses and instead protects them. "It is difficult to detect drones, especially if there are many of them. They can look like flying birds. Therefore, visual surveillance can be very effective," says one of the leaders of the anti-terrorist section from the "Mriya" unit.

‍

‍