Brian Mann

Well, it's interesting. Ukraine's military actually made it hard to know exactly where I was. The location of these command posts, it's a carefully guarded secret. I was guided in an armored car to a village outside Bukrovsk. It's a key coal mining town and transportation hub. It's been under siege by Russia since spring.

Well, it's interesting. Ukraine's military actually made it hard to know exactly where I was. The location of these command posts, it's a carefully guarded secret. I was guided in an armored car to a village outside Bukrovsk. It's a key coal mining town and transportation hub. It's been under siege by Russia since spring.

Soldiers brought me in darkness to a workshop where I saw technicians building these drones. They're black, five-bladed devices about the size of a small lawnmower. Then they took me to a command post where teams coordinate these drone attacks across a huge battlefield.

Soldiers brought me in darkness to a workshop where I saw technicians building these drones. They're black, five-bladed devices about the size of a small lawnmower. Then they took me to a command post where teams coordinate these drone attacks across a huge battlefield.

Soldiers brought me in darkness to a workshop where I saw technicians building these drones. They're black, five-bladed devices about the size of a small lawnmower. Then they took me to a command post where teams coordinate these drone attacks across a huge battlefield.

Well, these attacks are actually terrifying to watch. The drones operate at night. Their cameras see in infrared. So on a big flat screen TV, Asma, I watched as one drone spotted a Russian soldier. He was moving forward, trying to get close to Ukrainian positions. His body heat was visible against the snowy ground. And I had my recorder on while this was happening.

Well, these attacks are actually terrifying to watch. The drones operate at night. Their cameras see in infrared. So on a big flat screen TV, Asma, I watched as one drone spotted a Russian soldier. He was moving forward, trying to get close to Ukrainian positions. His body heat was visible against the snowy ground. And I had my recorder on while this was happening.

Well, these attacks are actually terrifying to watch. The drones operate at night. Their cameras see in infrared. So on a big flat screen TV, Asma, I watched as one drone spotted a Russian soldier. He was moving forward, trying to get close to Ukrainian positions. His body heat was visible against the snowy ground. And I had my recorder on while this was happening.

Okay, the camera is zooming in on bright heat signatures. And a bomb is dropping. You can see it falling. And another flare of light. A large explosion now. And the Ukrainian Zazma said that Russian soldier was killed. I was standing next to a Ukrainian soldier who goes by the call sign PIP, who coordinates attacks, that these drone pilots were working that night.

Okay, the camera is zooming in on bright heat signatures. And a bomb is dropping. You can see it falling. And another flare of light. A large explosion now. And the Ukrainian Zazma said that Russian soldier was killed. I was standing next to a Ukrainian soldier who goes by the call sign PIP, who coordinates attacks, that these drone pilots were working that night.

Okay, the camera is zooming in on bright heat signatures. And a bomb is dropping. You can see it falling. And another flare of light. A large explosion now. And the Ukrainian Zazma said that Russian soldier was killed. I was standing next to a Ukrainian soldier who goes by the call sign PIP, who coordinates attacks, that these drone pilots were working that night.

He said their job is to disrupt as many Russian assaults as they can. We doing this every day, nonstop, 24 hours. Are they also doing this? With us, yes. So both ways? Yes.

He said their job is to disrupt as many Russian assaults as they can. We doing this every day, nonstop, 24 hours. Are they also doing this? With us, yes. So both ways? Yes.

He said their job is to disrupt as many Russian assaults as they can. We doing this every day, nonstop, 24 hours. Are they also doing this? With us, yes. So both ways? Yes.

And that's a brutal reality of this war. These drones, they're killing a lot of Russians and Ukrainians.

And that's a brutal reality of this war. These drones, they're killing a lot of Russians and Ukrainians.

And that's a brutal reality of this war. These drones, they're killing a lot of Russians and Ukrainians.

A lot of military analysts think Ukraine has been more creative than Russia, more effective using this kind of technology. A group called the Institute for the Study of War did an analysis, found Russia losing huge numbers of soldiers killed and wounded as they grind forward. In one two-week period this month, Russia lost 3,000 troops in the Pokrovsk area.

A lot of military analysts think Ukraine has been more creative than Russia, more effective using this kind of technology. A group called the Institute for the Study of War did an analysis, found Russia losing huge numbers of soldiers killed and wounded as they grind forward. In one two-week period this month, Russia lost 3,000 troops in the Pokrovsk area.

A lot of military analysts think Ukraine has been more creative than Russia, more effective using this kind of technology. A group called the Institute for the Study of War did an analysis, found Russia losing huge numbers of soldiers killed and wounded as they grind forward. In one two-week period this month, Russia lost 3,000 troops in the Pokrovsk area.