Dylan Bettencourt
Yevhen Pronin, Ukraine’s athletics chief, has opened up about joining the army as a drone operator in the war against Russia – and it’s a role he’s thoroughly enjoyed.
Pronin sits in an army base and operates the drone from his phone. Recently he pressed a button to fire a bomb that hit the corner of an army tank, killing two Russian soldiers.
“They were killed. I dropped the bomb like a basketball,” he told The Times.
Pronin is just one of several members of the drone team that have proven highly successful in the war against Russia.
The team has been so effective that Russian forces have put a price on their heads, offering cash and a few days off work as a reward.
The members of the drone team are no military experts. Most of them lived a normal life behind a desk before the war began on 24 February.
“Four of us are lawyers and two work in IT,” Pronin said.
Pronin, at 31 years of age is the youngest president of any nation’s athletics federation. He was present at the recent World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States.
Following the event, he packed his bags and headed to Poland to pick up his car and drive back into Ukraine to continue fighting in the war.
“I will collect my weapons and change from my Audi to a military pick-up,” Pronin said.
He believes this is nothing special.
“It is not amazing, it is normal,” he said.
Before Russia launched its invasion, Pronin ran a successful law firm in Kyiv. He grew up flying drones as a hobby, giving him the edge in his army role.
Asked how he feels operating deadly drones and killing Russian soldiers, Pronin said: “I feel great because I am doing this for my country. If we do not kill them, they can kill our children and they can kill us. Of course, I’m not a killer in real life. It’s not a great experience but it is something I have to do,” he said.
Image source: @Pronin_Law_You
