Your country needs you – especially if you're a drone operator, Ukrainians told

This week marks three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

As the war continues, demand for drone operators is at an all-time high, and Ukraine is rapidly expanding its recruitment efforts to fill critical roles.

While artillery duels and trench warfare remain a brutal reality along the frontlines, Ukraine's armed forces are increasingly reliant on drones - both for surveillance and combat roles.

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This shift has made one job more crucial than ever – drone operator.

As uncrewed aerial vehicles play an increasingly vital role on the battlefield, the need for skilled personnel has surged.

A year ago, the country's first army recruitment centre opened in the western city of Lviv.

Since then, the number of centres has grown to 48, including one online, helping thousands of citizens navigate the enlistment process.

To date, 41,296 people have applied through these centres, with 1,808 applications submitted in the past week alone, according to the Ukrainian defence ministry.

More than 8,500 volunteers are currently in the process of registering to join.

The highest number of applicants come from Kyiv, as well as the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Lviv and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Women make up 20% of those enlisting countrywide.

Russia, too, has heavily invested in drone warfare, deploying Iranian-made Shahed drones in large numbers and adapting its own UAV tactics.

In response, Ukraine is ramping up domestic drone production and training more operators to counter Russian advances.