I just came back from London, representing Ukraine's Armed Forces.
A Ukrainian soldier at the stage, in a room full of British generals and NATO planners, and they were taking notes.
It's the most distinguished audience I've ever spoken to.
Let me tell you what happened 🧵🇺🇦
On that stage I represented my regiment @Raid_413 and Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces @usf_army.
Big thanks to RUSI @RUSI_org and Jack Watling @Jack_Watling for putting a Ukrainian soldier in front of that room.
Panel: "New Concepts for New Capabilities."
On the panel with me: Brigadier Jim Hadfield, Sam Bendett, Jordan Bean from STARK.
Chaired by Sam Cranny-Evans.
My part was to share Ukrainian perspective how to move from legacy warfighting tools and tactics to something that Ukraine has created - drone-centric warfare.
I just came back from Germany where I was advocating for Ukraine's Defence, representing the Armed Forces of Ukraine, @Raid_413 @usf_army.
Together with my brothers in arms, we talked to German defense industry, their military, politicians and ordinary people... 🧵
First and foremost, let me thank Mattia @mattia_n and Fedo who run Deutsch-Ukrainisches Büro (DUB) - they are actively engaging Ukrainian veterans and active-duty to cooperate with Germany, in full capacity.
This is building bridges between our nations. Thank you for doing this.
I fully realize that military is a political instrument - so with the help of DUB, we went to the Foreign Office, and talked to German and NATO policy-makers on how important that is to engage with Ukraine.
Politicians must give the orders to the military on what to do.
What's happening in the Middle East right now shows how much the West would benefit from Ukraine's drone expertise.
Ukraine and Russia are the only two countries in the world with modern drone-centric warfare experience.
As Ukrainian soldier, I want to help our Allies. 🧵
We fought Shaheds since 2022. In enormous quantities. Like 600 drones in one night. Each Shahed carries 50+ kg of C4 in it. You just must intercept it.
We know how to counter them cost-efficiently. And we can share that experience with the Allies.
Iran learned from Russia. They know the value of modern warfighting knowledge.
Meanwhile, NATO armies research it in random reports here and there but don't implement it into doctrines and SOPs for their troops.
I was at the funeral of my brother-in-arms recently.
Life is not fucking fair. I looked at his wife and little daughter.
I can't even imagine how it feels for them but I cried there.
Death takes our brothers. The skilled ones. The brave ones. The best
That's what makes it so fucking unfair.
He served in the 80th Air Assault Brigade even before 2022. A real professional, a good man. The kind of fighter you want together with you when everything goes to hell.
He left behind a wife and a daughter.
I literally cried when I saw his brother-in-arms walk up to the wife.
He handed her the unit flag and his beret.
She held them like they could bring him back. But they can't.
Trump demands Ukraine to agree to his 28-point “peace plan”.
There is no sign of ceasefire preparations in Donetsk oblast. There is only raw, muddy and deadly war going on.
This is not peace and this deal won’t bring us peace. This is what Ukrainian soldiers think 🧵
I'm not surprised by Russian-American demands. It's literally what russians pushed in Turkey in 2022 during first negotiations.
Force Ukraine to reduce our military, give up territory with our people on it. Accept occupation that brings suffering.
Just this alone is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable for the invader to dictate how we are going to shape our defenses, how we are planning to protect our Freedom and Dignity.
It’s such a shame that it comes from the US. Once a beacon of Freedom and Democracy that we looked up to
Today, I turn 27, at war.
I don’t feel pity that I’m not celebrating with my loved ones.
I am proud to have spent this year defending my family and my country - Ukraine - against russian invasion.
I’ve dedicated my life and health to fighting that.
🧵❤️🔥
I fight for our survival. But also for the world to know our culture, our experience and our pain.
Because what Ukrainians are going through is an incredible challenge and a profound lesson for humanity. It’s the darkest now, but it’s the darkest before dawn.
This morning, like many across Ukraine, I began my day with a minute of silence at 0900 - honoring the heroes who gave their lives for our freedom.
I will forever carry them in my thoughts.
Today, please think about all the Freedom Fighters who will not see their next birthday.