Oleh Huit, company commander of Rarog strike unmanned aerial vehicles of 24th Brigade: "During company’s existence, we have inflicted more than hundred million dollars worth of damage to enemy"
And the president's website posted a video of the recapture of a spoil tip on the outskirts of Horlivka, which involved drones controlled by Rarog Company operators.
Even children now know about the importance of attack drones, kamikaze drones and other aircraft types. We talked to the commander of a company that was created less than a year ago about the evolution of these army capabilities. Moreover, these operators test all the new products on the enemy right away. And they are getting results that are encouraging. The losses inflicted on the enemy in just one month, near Bakhmut, where the 24th Brigade has been operating for over a year, prove the effectiveness of different types of aircraft.
"WELCOME TO POPASNA"
- Why does your company have the unusual name Rarog?
- This is from Slavic mythology. Rarog is a weapon of the gods, a spirit of fire that appears in the form of a falcon or lightning, similar to a bird of prey. By the way, there is even an opinion that our trident is an image of a falcon-Rarog flying rapidly towards its prey. My friend, who helped us with the 3-D printing, overheard our meeting when we were thinking of a name for our company - similar ones started to be formed in all brigades six months ago. The soldiers brainstormed different ideas. And then I received a message from Oleh: "Call yourselves Rarog - this bird used to beat all kinds of rubles out of the sky - that's how we call Russians among ourselves. Everyone liked this idea. And now we have reusable airplane-type drones. Some of our drones are the size of half a car. We use them to destroy the enemy.
- Can you list what you have destroyed recently?
- We have MSTA-S, six tanks were destroyed, six tanks were damaged. That is, such a tank did not catch fire or detonate, but so much ammunition was thrown at it that it is likely to be 80 percent destroyed, it will not be able to run, it will be dismantled for spare parts.
Armored combat vehicles - seven units were destroyed. Self-propelled artillery guns - three destroyed. Guns - two destroyed. Automotive vehicles - five. Cargo vehicles - six. And 25 dead Russians. 25 heads. This figure is confirmed. In terms of sanitary losses - medium and heavy 300th - 21 people. Some of them definitely joined the ranks of the two hundred. We have a video of a Russian falling from an infantry fighting vehicle, burning, running, falling again, climbing, crawling. We don't know his fate after that. He probably died.
- What makes you personally happy about what you destroyed?
-Artillery systems and tanks. Why? Because if there is no tank, the crew cannot fire. Once you destroy a tank, that's it. And if you destroy the Russians, there will be other Russians. They have been multiplied, mothers have given birth to them. And then the tanks will continue to roll.
Nowadays, it is constantly said that the newly created companies that use FPV, kamikaze drones, reusable large-caliber drones saved the lives of our infantrymen. The destruction of tanks and self-propelled guns is what makes it possible to save the lives of our soldiers.
- How long have you been at war? Who were you in civilian life?
- I lived in the Czech Republic for five years. I was engaged in turning, an engineer by profession. I earned good money. When the full-scale war started, I came to Ukraine. I got to the border, picked up my family, who continued to live in the country while I was working abroad, brought them to their place, returned and mobilized. Why the 24th Brigade? Because my father had already served there. Before the full-scale war, I served in the 80th and 81st brigades. I wanted to join the Air Assault Brigade, but my father mobilized to the mortar battery of the 24th Brigade, and I asked the military recruitment office to send me to him. My father also came from abroad. He lived in Poland for ten years.
I was given one day to get ready and then I welcomed Popasna.
I chose the position of platoon commander of a mortar battery. I was a battery commander in the airborne troops, so I was familiar with it. At that time, there were a lot of vacant positions - you could choose any one you wanted. Just go and work. Do what you know how to do.
They brought us to Popasna: "Welcome to hell". It was March 10, the day after Taras Shevchenko's birthday. That's why I remember it. It was no longer possible to move around the city. Only outside the buildings. There were so many art systems working around the city. We used to go to the toilet from half past three to half past four in the afternoon. This was the time when the shift change took place. Only then did no one shoot. You could come out of the hole.
One person died as soon as we entered the city. The rest of us got out. Compared to the infantry, we suffered the least losses.
We had mortars, but no mines. 150, 50, 80, 60 per day. It is impossible to compare this with how many the enemy fired at us. This is a ratio of half a percent to a thousand!
There was not a day when something did not hit us in the area. It was five to ten meters from our shelter. There was never a quiet day or night.
At that time we had two mortars. And the air force was attacking us! They didn't hit us, but everything nearby was razed to the ground. Our position was normal because the artillery could not smoke us out. That's why they used aircraft.
-Was there any panic that we would not be able to withstand so many enemies?
-I was writing a letter to my friend, which he was supposed to pass on to my wife. Honestly, I had never been in such a shit hole before. And I was more than sure that we would not get out of there. We were being followed. It was enough to go outside, walk along the road and die. Moving around Popasna, delivering ammunition was extremely difficult. Of course, we tried to follow what was happening on the territory of Ukraine - Kharkiv, Kyiv region. I thought: it would be better to have a war here than in the center of Ukraine and in the north.
But there is a God in the world. Yes, we lost Popasna, but we killed the Russians there by the dozen. We left because we had nothing left to do. The infantry was running out. Other units came in. And we moved a little further north, in the direction of Zolote-Hirske.
"IF YOU DON'T COME OUT OF HIDING AND THROW A FEW MINES, THE INFANTRY IS DEAD"
-The first time I saw an unmanned aerial vehicle was in Popasna. I had already become a battery commander," Oleh continues.
- If you say you couldn't come out of the shelter, how did you work with mortars?
- "It was fine!" We ran out, threw mines and hid. I remember the words of the artillery commander, whom I later replaced. Once he came to me and said: "We have to work". And a 122nd shell falls into my field, shattering everything. I answered: "I cannot leave the dugout". I remember his words like today: "If you don't come out and throw those couple of mines with rapid fire, the infantry is dead. The infantry is being surrounded from all sides. We need to suppress the enemy at least a little bit. So that the Russians could pull back, and our men could pull out the 300th." And that was it. I put on my helmet - although I'm not a fan of helmets, I'd rather take another bulletproof vest. So, here we go. Everything around us is cutting. But we run, we throw. We threw ten mines. The gunner and the commander of the squad ran up to us: "Go to the basement, we'll finish throwing them ourselves". Later, the gunner died. In Bakhmut...
That was the first time I saw that there was a machine that could see and adjust. I was planning to climb a multi-story building with binoculars and adjust the guys. Because, as a rule, we were usually adjusted by the infantry. And I understand perfectly well how the infantry adjusts and also shoots back. And this house was hit by a tank. All the time. And artillery commander did not allow me to do that. He said we would fly now. We will adjust from a bird. But at that time we had only one pilot. And he was the head of intelligence.
When we left Popasna, I wanted to see what kind of bird we had, how it was going. It turned out to be a Mavic 3. I couldn't even imagine that from a distance of 500 meters, you can see so well. I fell in love with it and realized that it was mine. Artillery plus eyes - there will be a result.
We were taken away for just a couple of days and transferred to Zolote-Hirske. We practiced flying even then. I didn't fly then, I was adjusting my battery. The platoon commander had time to learn to fly. But we were not streaming yet. I was sitting in a tree with a radio station so that I could reach the artillery chief. He was broadcasting to me on a tablet. Everything seemed so ridiculous now. But back then it was wow. From that tree, I was adjusting. And the first Russians we killed, there were three hundredth and two hundredth, were thanks to aerial surveillance. And then Ostap was inspired.
I wasn't so much pleased with the result as I was with the task of minimizing the number of mines thrown. That is, we had to shoot as accurately as possible. And we were constantly developing to make things better. When it got to the point where we started streaming to the Command and Observation Post thanks to Starlink, it became clear: the evolution had taken place! If I compare today and what happened a year ago, it's like a man and a monkey.
At first, we streamed to YouTube through a closed channel. Those who had the link could see everything that was happening. Artillery started firing more shells. Tanks started shooting from closed positions at our coordinates. The ball was set rolling.
- How did the birds that you used to change?
-We started with the Mavic2. There were also older models, but it was the second ones that proved to be more effective. Later, we bought the third model in bulk. Volunteers joined in. Thanks to them, we could see where we were shooting and worked with less usage of ammunition. Later it became clear: day is day, but we also need to shoot at night. We started working at night as well.
But it so happened that in Zolote-Hirske the enemy outmaneuvered us. An almost closed ring was formed. The units had to withdraw. We were withdrawn to a retreat. We did not lose any time there. We received powerful night-type drones - " Matrice210". Everyone was afraid to fly it because it costs about a million hryvnias. They were afraid of losing it. War is not cheap. But we started working at night. And when we switched to the third Mavic, we started to make drops on it.
At that time, there was no such thing as a school or unit that effectively worked with dumps and taught how to do it. We knew about airplanes carrying ammunition. These are the well-known Bairaktars and Poseidons. We did not have the money to buy such things. We wrote down our needs, but they looked at us with all eyes. They said: "Give us a bird that will make ten flights and be shot down. And it costs 300 thousand". At that time, no one realized that there were no shells, and this bird could destroy a self-propelled gun, a tank...
So we started creating additional crews. We asked volunteers to buy us more drones to put drops on them. But there was little time. After the encirclement, we went to the Lysychansk Oil Investment Company, and three weeks later we went to Mykolaiv and Kherson. There was no time to deal with the airplanes.
In the Kherson region, I was already the artillery commander of the 3rd battalion. And I was tasked with bringing one of the crews, which had a large hexacopter carrying up to 10 kilograms for 10 kilometers, to the position. We knew where the Russian tanks were, where their vehicles were. The crew worked and destroyed three tanks and three armored personnel carriers from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. I did not believe it was true. I asked them to show me the video because it was fantastic. How is it possible? We are firing a whole bunch of shells, trying to get close, to hit the armor with anti-tank weapons. And here our aircraft flew into the sky and hit so many vehicles. That's two buckets of medals and - I wish you health.
After that, the Russians will not work until they get tanks. This is a lot of time. What I like most about the work of the aircrews is that the tank is not destroyed, there are hits, but then psychology starts to work. The crew is afraid to leave, they start thinking about what they can put on that fucking Soviet tank so that our attack doesn't destroy it. They don't come close. For me, this psychological factor, which we also influence, plays a big role.
- Were you shown the video?
- Of course.
- How many times have you watched it?
- I didn't watch it to the end. I watched the first tank and one infantry fighting vehicle being hit. And after that I could not watch it. Why don't we work like this? Let's call the manufacturers, find out who is doing this. And raise money.
We were sent from the Kherson region to Kyiv region, where we trained infantry. After that, we took part in the defense of Bakhmut. We still did not have everything we needed. And then, at the state level, they began to form a company staff. The brigade commander offered me the position of commander. I immediately agreed. I realized that I could manage well, and I like to manage.
A couple of days ago, I was watching the FPV crew leave, watching the analysts work. And then within two hours we get the result: two cars, two Russians, an ATV, a jeep... What else can we talk about? At the same time, we have no losses among our personnel. We leave at night. The result is that the armored personnel carrier is destroyed, the KAMAZ is destroyed and the truck that provides transportation of ammunition and personnel is destroyed. Dreams start to come true! I had a dream to make the enemy walk on foot: through plantations and gullies. Let them carry the ammunition, not transport it. I do not want them to drive. I want every one of them to walk and be afraid, because the guys from Rarog are flying in those areas.
"WHEN PEOPLE ASK HOW MUCH MONEY CAN BE COLLECTED FOR DRONES, I ANSWER LIKE THIS: "AS MANY TANKS, SPG AND RUSSIANS AS THERE ARE, SO MUCH SHOULD BE COLLECTED"
- When did you hear about FPV drones and start using them?
- Last year, in the Kherson region, I knew about such vehicles. When I became a company commander, I went to the training and saw how they fly, what is needed for this, and found out who in Ukraine is developing them. I sent my crew to the training, although I did not know whether they would work in our area. Because each drone is used in its own area. Each has its own characteristics and capabilities, but you need to have everything in your arsenal.
The crew trained for four weeks. After that, they received the drone. FPV requires many conditions. Radio range and technical equipment are important for such drones. But our company is successful thanks to FPV. As of now, we have produced up to 500 of them. The nature of the targets is not important to us - we hit what we have. Many people work solely on equipment. We work on everything. This is a means. The only thing is that we changed the type of ammunition.
- The enemy is also progressing all the time.
- Yes. Each bird now has its own electronic warfare system, so there will be losses from them. We also lose drones to small arms. But... Every day after work, we write down what exactly we destroyed and how much it costs. Over the entire time of the company's existence, we have caused more than a hundred million dollars worth of damage to the enemy. These are guns, self-propelled artillery guns, tanks. The only thing we don't know is how to count their various antennas. There are rubles in this amount: one Russian equals one ruble. We believe this is the most appropriate exchange rate. According to statistics, we have paid for ourselves a thousand times over. And all the property that was invested for the company.
- You can hear conversations on there we go again, raising money for birds...
- Do the calculations yourself. We need at least 200 FPVs per month on average. One costs 25 thousand hryvnias. If we count the heavy-duty drones, we need ten drones per month of each type. They have a small percentage of losses, so they are less likely to be collected. For P18s, we need four or five sets per month. As of now, we have a few of them. We do not stop - we are constantly looking for an opportunity to buy a bird.
As for the question "How much can we collect, again?" I will answer as follows: as many Russians as there are, we need to collect as many. As many of their self-propelled artillery guns and tanks as there are, so many should be collected. I don't even want to know where our troops would be now if it weren't for these drones. If I had the same opportunities in Popasna as I do now, I think we would be talking in Popasna right now.
We are approaching the stage of completing the company's training and teaming up the crews. At the beginning of the company's formation, I didn't know what I was going to deal with. Because the drones I wanted to have were very expensive. They are issued to the Airborne Forces and the Special Forces. And I want to kill and live as well. But I serve in a mechanized brigade. And I did not know what kind of support we would receive, what type of birds. Now we have found out which birds are effective and which are not. From the New Year, I think we will work even better.
I was not looking for pilots specifically. When the company was formed, we found a young, adequate guy in the infantry who was ready to learn and work. Someone came to us after being wounded. Such fighters want to avenge their wounds, so they are ready to work hard.
-Which lost bird did you miss the most?
-I am in love with the R18. It is a multi-rotor type. The last one was shot down by small arms. Two of them were in service. There was only one left. They shot down that side, and a bunch of tanks were standing there... It was the second sortie of the night. These planes proved to be the best. They are very smart, have several communication channels, and are easy to operate. There are very few of these boards. But they show tremendous results. In one night, the guys somehow stuck on an SPG, two D30 guns, two tanks, one Rapier, two MTLBs. In just one night! Of course, I was very upset about the loss of such a board.
- How do your crews work?
- During the day, a target is searched for with the help of a spy bird, and the information is analyzed. In the evening, a night bird flies out. The crew goes to the position, confirms the target, whether it is worth flying there. If everything matches, a large drone flies.
-That is, you work around the clock...
-Of course. Weather conditions sometimes allow us to rest. Basically, four reconnaissance crews and two bird-dropping crews work every day. Now we are training people for other types of aircraft. There are 60 people in the company. We have recruited so much equipment that we do not have enough crews. A lot of people in the unit are working on the supply side. This is ammunition recycling, 3D printing. Printers work around the clock, without stopping. And three are not enough for us. We need at least ten units. Then the company's work will go better. We also need to repair vehicles, deliver food and fuel. We also need to solder drones, because something breaks down in them as well.
The company consists of four people in command. All the rest are pilots. This is wrong. In the world's armies, 15 percent are fighters, 85 percent are supply. We have 60 percent combatants and the rest are supply. The percentage of supply needs to be raised, because we are not keeping up. We have a crew that can work, but we lack 3D models and ammunition, because 100 units of ammunition are being dropped every night. The guys are working, no one jokes around. Moreover, our direction - Horlivka and everything nearby - is very important.
"WE NEED TO REPLACE THE INFANTRY... WITH ROBOTS"
-Is your father still in the service?
- Yes. He was and still is engaged in road transport. We are in the same brigade, but not in the same unit.
-During the two years of war, you were wounded more than once. How and in what circumstances did it happen?
- The injuries were work-related. The first time it happened, we still don't understand how it happened. We were covered by the house. It was in the direction of Horlivka. We used to run to those positions and everything was fine - or an angel was sitting in that place. Shells exploded nearby, airplanes flew overhead - it didn't matter. It was a miracle. And then I was hit. My leg was injured.
The second time... The enemy, just like us, is conducting surveillance. They hit the yard where we were. A fragment pierced my arm. The soft tissue was torn. The bones were not damaged.
-How long was the treatment?
-About a month. The holes were big. Four centimeters at the inlet and seven centimeters at the outlet.
To give you an idea, when we were in Bakhmut and our battalion reconnaissance found the pilot, I was shouting into the radio station, yelling: "Fire from all barrels!" Hitting the pilot was for me something..
-Something personal.
-Not only that. It was strategic! The elimination of the pilot means that the enemy battalion headquarters does not know what is happening on the front line. The battalion commander does not know what is happening on the front line - he is no longer in control of the battle. The pilot is the number one target. And my pilots are also the number one target for the enemy. Especially since we have inflicted such tremendous losses on them.
- As Zaluzhnyi said, we need to make a step forward now. Do you think there is something new to be found? Is there potential?
- Of course! We recently went to Kyiv. We were offered a model of a car drone. And my sergeant and I had an idea - what if we replaced live infantrymen with robots? It's all real. It is not something wow. Some countries already have similar developments. They just don't fully understand how to use them. Such a robot needs to be armed. It will be a drone that will understand where the enemy is and shoot at him. We need to replace people with robots. This is modern warfare.
I used to know where to fall in the field as an infantryman because I could hear the exit of a shell. But when a kamikaze drone flies into my basement, it's no longer war. That infantryman needs to be taken out of harm's way, and a robot needs to be put there.
We are at war with the "second army of the world," which is counted in millions of these rubles, and they probably don't know how much of this mobilization resource they have. They have people like manure. And we value our people. If we're talking about forces and means, the Russians are not concerned about losing ten self-propelled artillery systems. Because instead of those ten, twenty more will come. And for us, this is a valuable resource.
They have countless forces in terms of capabilities. We have to be smarter, to be one step ahead. Although, I think we are not succeeding yet. Yes, we have stronger FPVs, but we still don't have an analog of the Orlan, which flies at an altitude of four kilometers and cannot be shot down. There is no Lancet, a barrage munition. There is no Zala, no Kub...
We need to develop our own. We need to move away from Mavic, from everything alien. We need our own. Even if it is more expensive than buying in China, we still need to do it. Because these are state funds that will remain inside. We have everything as a valuable resource: people, equipment, and funds. We have to have our own.
We will not defeat the enemy by numbers. Only a bright, clear mind and a number of different types of drones will help us win.
- Didn't you get tired during this time?
-I know that civilians often say that. We have no time to get tired. At the beginning of the company's creation, I had moments when I was giving up. There was no result for about two months. At the same time, I had to make a million calls every day to find birds and send everyone to training. I was on the edge of giving up. And then yeet - at night, a plane hits a tank and a bunch of rubles run, burn and climb into one pile. Another of our ammunition arrives there. What could be better? And you see a kopeck - a leg or an arm - fly away. It's such a drive, an adrenaline rush! And finally, you begin to realize that everything you have done has not been in vain.
Everyone can support the work of the Rarog Company:
official volunteer card Monobank 4441 1144 1241 1983
Monobank https://send.monobank.ua/jar/3jdXe6NGRr
PayPal [email protected]
Violetta Kirtoka, Censor.NET