--- title: "Wild Drones: How Ukrainian Frontline Soldiers Staged an Aerial Battle in Truskavets" description: "The main drone battle of this spring took place in Truskavets β€” the \"Wild Drones\" tournament. 19 crews from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard from the front line competed in piloting the latest developments of the Ukrainian defense industry. πŸšπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦" date: 2026-06-04T15:04:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/wild-drones-how-ukrainian-frontline-soldiers-staged-an-aerial-battle-in-truskavets tags: [] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Wild Drones: How Ukrainian Frontline Soldiers Staged an Aerial Battle in Truskavets ![Ukrainian soldier in Truskavets uses VR goggles to control drones, participating in an aerial battle](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/04/dikiye-drony-kak-frontoviki-vsu-ustroili-vozdushnuyu-bitvu-v-truskavtse/dikiye-drony-kak-frontoviki-vsu-ustroili-vozdushnuyu-bitvu-v-truskavtse-1.webp) The main deftech battle of this spring took place in Truskavets β€” the large-scale UAV operator competition "Wild Drones." Nineteen crews from the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the National Guard, along with representatives from four training centers, gathered at the range. The uniqueness of the tournament lay in the fact that most participants arrived at the venue directly from the front line, carrying the burden of combat tasks. The "Wild Drones" project has been hosting military competitions since 2024. This time, the tournament lasted two days. The program was maximally dense: on the first day, FPV drone pilots competed, and on the second day, they were joined by crews of heavy bombers. ### A Break from War and Exchange of Experience The co-organizers of the competition from the 33rd Mechanized Brigade, Ruslan Diky and Yuri Parkhomov, noted that the project became a response to the challenges of modern warfare. For frontline soldiers, this is a rare opportunity to change the environment. Chief Sergeant of the "Black Raven" battalion, Denys Sidiy, emphasized that the tournament was organized to give fighters a break from the line of contact. Since representatives of units from the front line gathered at the range, the event turned into a platform for informal communication, exchanging combat experience, and familiarizing themselves with the latest developments in the Ukrainian defense industry. A serviceman of the 153rd Mechanized Brigade with the callsign "Logan" explained that the range is perceived as a place of relative safety. "Carrying out tasks directly in combat conditions from a dugout, when it is critically important to hit a large target, is psychologically much more difficult," the pilot noted. Despite the nervousness that is still present at the competitions, the conditions at the range are significantly more comfortable for operators. ### Technological Equality The organizers ensured identical conditions for all participants. Teams used identical airframes developed by the company SkyFall: high-speed FPV drones "Shrike" and heavy night bombers "Vampire." Thanks to this, the result was determined primarily by skill, reaction, and crew coordination. A representative of SkyFall with the callsign "Ares" said that "Vampire" (known among occupiers as "Baba Yaga") became the most effective means of destruction on the front in 2025 as part of the state program "Drone Army. Bonus." It is used in a large number of combat missions β€” from dropping ammunition to remote mining, logistics, delivery of ammunition, provisions, and medical supplies. FPV drones "Shrike" are high-speed platforms used for precision strike tasks and are distinguished by high maneuverability and accuracy. It was with these drones that military personnel from the "Predators of the Heights" unmanned systems battalion destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter worth more than $10 million last year. ### Extreme Track and Aerial Collisions The race track turned out to be extreme. Pilots had to fly into rings at insane speeds, bypass artificial obstacles, and maneuver over a lake with a poor horizon. The main challenge was air traffic. Several airframes were in the sector at the same time, which led to real aerial collisions. "The hardest part is probably the nerves. You get terribly nervous. Not like in combat, where everything is different, there is adrenaline and you see the enemy. But here β€” it's pure sport, insane speed, and competition," shared pilot "Noise" from the 114th Territorial Defense Brigade, which has thousands of combat sorties to its credit. ### Wild Darts and Team Exercises A unique part of the second day was "Wild Darts" (special spears were attached to FPV drones, which had to hit a target) and complex team exercises where three types of UAVs interacted: reconnaissance "Mavic", bomber "Vampire", and strike FPV. Crews had to launch a "Mavic", find a target, highlight it, after which the "Vampire" made two drops, and the FPV kamikaze had to blindly hit a balloon. The competition continued even though an air raid siren sounded at the range. ### Tournament Winners Based on the results of the two-day competition, the tournament judge and head of the UAV operator training center "Dovzhik", Dmytro Zhmakin, announced the winners. In the fierce FPV contest, the pilot with the callsign "Svat" demonstrated a golden tactic. While his opponents went for a collision in the air chaos, he acted slowly but with jewel-like precision. "My tactic is simple: it is better to fly in a little slower, but hit the target with the first drone on the first flight. This will bring more benefit," the winner explained his success.