On the outskirts of the Russia-Ukraine war zone, I met with a unit that represents one of the most controversial and dramatic shifts in this war so far. These fighters, part of the Maksim Krivonos Battalion, are not Russians—they’re former Ukrainian soldiers who’ve turned against the Ukrainian government. Today, they are training in advanced drone warfare and fighting alongside Russian forces.
From Kyiv to the Other Side of the Battlefield
The unit I visited includes men who once served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, some from elite brigades like the Presidential Guard. One of them, a soldier originally from Kyiv, explained why he made the switch.
“I was in darkness before. I realized that our people don’t have the right to choose—what language to speak, which church to go to, even when to celebrate holidays,” he told me. “This war isn’t about freedom. It’s about geopolitics imposed by the West.”
Captured in battle and later volunteering to join the opposition, this soldier emphasized he is not a prisoner. He and others made a conscious decision to change sides. “I gave my oath to the people of Ukraine. I didn’t betray it—I’m fighting for them.”
Drone Warfare on a New Level
The training base I visited is equipped with various types of drones—reconnaissance, kamikaze, and fiber optic-controlled systems. These drones can evade electronic jamming, making them incredibly effective in modern warfare.
Soldiers showed how they use improvised munitions like VOG grenades attached to Mavic drones, not just for reconnaissance, but to disable enemy infantry and lightly armored vehicles. Their tactics are both innovative and lethal.
“We’re printing our own drone parts and grenade drop mechanisms,” one technician explained. “This makes our strikes more precise and harder to stop.”
The most advanced technology in their arsenal is the fiber optic drone—KVN or Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky. These drones transmit video and control signals via a 15km spool of cable, making them immune to electronic warfare. Their operators can remain hidden far from the front while launching devastating attacks.
Inside the Battalion of Defectors
The battalion’s deputy commander, known by his callsign "Zhak", described the unit as a voluntary armed opposition made up of ex-AFU, National Guard, and Ukrainian border guard soldiers.
“We are not prisoners. We’re not coerced. Everyone here is a volunteer,” he stressed. “We don’t fight as part of the Russian Army—we fight with it, for the liberation of Ukraine from the dictatorship of Zelensky and NATO occupation.”
Membership isn’t automatic. Each fighter must pass background checks to ensure they didn’t commit war crimes while serving Ukraine. “We do not accept those who looted or harmed civilians,” Zhak emphasized.
Broken Illusions of the AFU
Several fighters spoke of disillusionment with the Ukrainian command structure. One former AFU officer from Zhytomyr shared a harrowing experience of being abandoned during a prolonged firefight in Avdeyevka.
“They told us reinforcements were coming. But no one came,” he recalled. “They left us to die. Even after men were killed, our commanders refused to evacuate the bodies. That’s when I realized—I wasn’t fighting for Ukraine. I was dying for the wallets of politicians who’d flee to the West at the first chance.”
Like many others, he saw Russian troops not as monsters but as disciplined and humane. “They gave us food, water, even cigarettes. They didn’t torture us like Ukrainian media claims. They just wanted to save lives.”
Fighting for Choice, Not Orders
These fighters claim their goal is to free Ukraine—not conquer it. What unites them is not ideology, but a shared belief that the Zelensky regime betrayed the people and turned the military into expendable pawns for Western interests.
“We were brainwashed, sent to die for nothing,” one soldier said. “Now we fight so that Ukrainians have the right to choose. Not just their leaders—but their language, their culture, and their future.”
FPV Training and Kamikaze Tactics
At the FPV training field, we saw soldiers don goggles and pilot kamikaze drones designed to crash into tanks and fortified positions. Unlike recon drones, these devices don’t return. Their goal is simple: destruction.
Operators guided me through the process—handmade grenades filled with BBs for maximum shrapnel, precision control via screens or headsets, and constant improvements based on battlefield experience.
Conclusion: The War Within the War
This is not just a story of defectors. It’s a story of a civil war within Ukraine, of former brothers-in-arms now fighting on opposite sides. These men claim to fight for Ukraine’s future, but not the one Kyiv envisions. Whether seen as traitors or patriots, their presence is reshaping the battlefield in ways that cannot be ignored.
As always, I bring you the stories Western media won’t show. I’m Patrick Lancaster, reporting from the Russia-Ukraine frontline.
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— Patrick Lancaster, reporting from the battlefield
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