The Ukrainian soldiers responsible for some of Kyiv’s most daring long-range drone attacks deep inside Russian territory live in a world defined by secrecy, discipline, and constant vigilance. They do not discuss their missions with friends. Their parents remain unaware of the true nature of their work. Their spouses often know only fragments of the truth. Every movement, conversation, and purchase is carefully controlled to prevent information from falling into the wrong hands.
For members of Ukraine’s elite long-range drone units, anonymity is not merely a precaution—it is a necessity.
“Don’t draw attention to yourself, don’t brag,” said one operator, identified only by the pseudonym Joey, whose real name remains classified. “You’ll never be able to talk about what you’ve done, even after the war.”
Joey, a former Marine who joined the effort in 2025, serves with Center No. 1 of Ukraine’s drone forces, one of the country’s most secretive military formations. The unit has been involved in a series of high-profile strikes against targets deep inside Russia, part of Kyiv’s broader strategy of taking the war beyond Ukraine’s borders and targeting infrastructure that supports Moscow’s military campaign.
Among the operations attributed to the unit are a June drone strike on a Moscow oil refinery that sent thick black smoke rising above the Russian capital, as well as attacks targeting Saint Petersburg during the opening of a major international conference.
For Ukraine, these strikes are presented as a response to Russia’s sustained bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Russian missile and drone attacks have become a near-nightly occurrence across Ukraine, damaging infrastructure and causing civilian casualties. In return, Kyiv has increasingly focused on oil depots, fuel storage facilities, and refineries that generate revenue and logistical support for Russia’s war effort.
The strategy aims to weaken the economic foundations of Moscow’s military machine while demonstrating that no location within Russia is entirely beyond reach.
Yet the success of these operations comes with significant risks.
“We are a very high-value and priority target for the enemy,” Joey said.
The secrecy surrounding the drone units is extensive. Members’ names, ages, and personal details are carefully concealed. Photographs and videos are tightly controlled, with faces obscured whenever public images are released. Even casual references that might reveal their identities are prohibited.
The precautions extend far beyond the battlefield.
Another member of Center No. 1, who uses the call sign Voron—the Ukrainian word for raven—said the danger posed by Russian intelligence leaves little room for error.
“We ourselves understand how high the price can be for our loved ones and for us,” he said. “That’s why the primary, conscious decision we make is to stay as much as possible in the shadows.”
According to Voron, Russian security services would devote significant resources to identifying and eliminating the teams responsible for Ukraine’s deepest strikes.
“Russia will do everything possible to hunt down at least one of these deep-strike groups,” he said.
The threat is one he understands well. Before joining the current unit, Voron participated in efforts to locate and target Russia’s own long-range drone operators.
Before the war transformed his life, he worked as a painter and martial arts instructor. Today, his existence is built around concealment.
Married and the father of a child, Voron believes his wife has some understanding of what he does, but the subject remains largely unspoken.
“She suspects,” he said, “but she doesn’t ask questions.”
The deception extends into the digital world. Any public association with his current unit is forbidden. On social media, Voron continues to maintain the appearance that he serves in a different military formation. He posts photographs and references connected to a former army unit to reinforce the illusion.
“All my relatives and friends think I’m still in the special forces,” he said.
Another officer involved in Ukraine’s long-range strike program, a military intelligence operative using the call sign Wolf, described a culture where blending into civilian life is as important as operational expertise.
“In daily life, you wouldn’t recognize us,” he said.
“We maintain discretion to pass for ordinary people.”
The reality differs sharply from popular perceptions of elite military personnel. Rather than traveling in uniform or displaying visible signs of their profession, members of the unit deliberately avoid attracting attention.
“People picture us as some kind of commando in camouflage,” Voron said. “But in reality we go around in shirts and jeans.”
Even their language is regulated. When outside secure environments, discussions of missions are prohibited. Certain aviation-related terms, including words such as “takeoff” and “wing,” are avoided entirely to prevent accidental disclosures.
The operational security measures continue into nearly every aspect of daily life.
Cash is the preferred method of payment for virtually all purchases. Members of the unit are instructed to vary the automated teller machines they use when withdrawing money, reducing the possibility that movement patterns can be tracked.
Loyalty programs at petrol stations are also off limits, as such systems can generate data trails that intelligence agencies could potentially exploit.
The attention to detail reflects the increasingly sophisticated nature of modern warfare, where digital footprints can become valuable intelligence assets.
Mobile phones, in particular, are subject to strict rules.
Whether actively participating in a mission or off duty, members of the team are required to keep personal phones permanently in flight mode. Devices may only connect through personal portable routers, according to personnel familiar with the procedures.
Military communications rely on specialized encrypted devices designed to protect sensitive information. Any technology capable of revealing geolocation data is prohibited.
The result is a lifestyle that can feel isolated and restrictive, but one that operators view as essential.
Lie detector examinations are also used within the program. Personnel may be tested if there is suspicion that information has been compromised, and prospective recruits can undergo screening before being accepted into sensitive positions.
Such measures underscore the strategic importance Ukraine places on its long-range drone campaign.
Over the past year, Ukrainian strikes have reached increasingly distant targets across Russian territory, demonstrating both technological progress and expanding operational capabilities. Oil facilities have emerged as a primary focus, with attacks occurring on a near-weekly basis.
The cumulative impact has contributed to disruptions within parts of Russia’s fuel supply network and highlighted vulnerabilities in infrastructure once considered relatively secure from Ukrainian attack.
Assessing the broader economic consequences, however, remains difficult. While refinery outages and fuel shortages have been reported in some regions, analysts continue to debate the long-term effect on Russia’s revenues and military finances.
For the operators carrying out the missions, the significance of the campaign is measured less by economic statistics than by its psychological and strategic impact.
The ability to strike deep inside Russian territory sends a message that distance alone no longer guarantees safety.
As Ukraine expands the scale and frequency of these operations, the challenges facing the drone teams are evolving.
According to Joey, the primary limitation is no longer equipment.
“We don’t lack drones,” he said.
Instead, the greatest constraint is time.
“The problem is hours in a day.”
The growing tempo of operations reflects the increasing importance of unmanned systems in the conflict. Drones have transformed the battlefield since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, enabling both sides to conduct surveillance, precision attacks, and long-range strikes at a fraction of the cost of traditional military assets.
For Ukraine, which faces a larger adversary with greater conventional resources, drone warfare has become a critical equalizer.
Joey remains committed to the mission and speaks openly about his hopes for the future, even if he must do so anonymously.
He dreams of participating in a launch that ultimately reaches one of Russia’s most symbolic centers of power: the Kremlin.
More broadly, he envisions what he describes as the complete defeat of Russia.
To him, the campaign of long-range strikes represents more than a military operation. It is a gradual process of applying pressure to an adversary he believes can be weakened through persistent and targeted attacks.
The image he uses is simple but revealing.
The strikes, he said, are like “ice cracking under the Russians’ feet.”
“We are doing everything we can so that it gives way beneath them.”
For now, however, the men behind those attacks will continue to operate from the shadows—anonymous figures leading an increasingly important dimension of Ukraine’s war effort while ensuring that, to the outside world, they appear to be nothing more than ordinary citizens going about their daily lives.
