Inside the bunker: The harrowing reality of the drone warfare taking place in Ukraine

Drone pilots from Ukraine's 23rd Mechanised Brigade play a critical role in halting the advances of the Russian forces, where they are using drones to drop anti-tank mines and small bombs to target enemy positions.

Footage near Chasiv Yar, captured by American-Ukrainian journalist David Kirichenko, shows these operations in action, as Ukrainian forces attempt to slow Russia's ongoing assault.

During his time on the frontline, Mr Kirichenko reported on the harsh conditions faced by the drone units, which are often stationed in bunkers under heavy fire.

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"We're sitting in the bunker and the soldiers are looking at me," Mr Kirichenko recalls, "and they're just like 'I don't understand why you would come here to sit in this deadly bunker, you know, you could die'. And we just smiled at one another."

The drone operations are vital to Ukraine’s defence efforts. Chasiv Yar, located on high ground near Bakhmut, has been a focal point in the conflict.

Once home to 13,000 people, the town has been heavily damaged by Russian airstrikes and artillery.

The drone war has intensified, with both Ukrainian and Russian forces using UAVs to target one another.

Russian forces recently began deploying FPV drones equipped with detonators, which are dropped on roads to target vehicles.

"Both sides mine the roads. So whenever heavy armour or even drone units are trying to retreat there's a good probability somebody is going to be driving over that mine," Mr Kirichenko explained.

The journalist and researcher said the main priority for both sides was to kill the drone pilots.

This threat is exacerbated by the ability of enemy drones to follow Ukrainian UAVs back to their bases, potentially exposing their positions.

The pressure on the pilots is immense, with many working 15 hours straight for several days with only an hour in between for sleep.

The drone units often use their own funds to purchase additional equipment, such as electronic warfare jammers and Starlink satellite terminals.

In addition to drone units, Mr Kirichenko also embedded with mortar teams, artillery units and armoured brigades.

He is set to publish a report this month for the Henry Jackson Society, a national security think tank, highlighting lessons Nato could learn from Ukraine.