Ukrainian drone unit prepares UAVs for frontline missions in Kharkiv region

KHARKIV, UKRAINE - OCT. 21, 2026: Ukrainian drone operators prepared unmanned aerial vehicles for military missions at an undisclosed location in the northeastern Kharkiv region on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

The operators belong to the "Skymonsters" drone unit of the Ukrainian National Guard's 13th Khartiia Brigade.

Russia started its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022 to "denazify" and "demilitarize" Ukraine.

According to its memorandum for the settlement of the conflict, Moscow has demanded a ban on Kyiv joining military alliances and withdrawal of Ukraine's troops from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, the regions it annexed after a referendum in September 2022, among others.

Ukraine has called the terms an "ultimatum" and has called for a ceasefire as a prerequisite for meaningful talks.