Defenders

The northeastern region of Ukraine has become another active theatre of war. There, Ukrainian forces defend the Sumy Oblast, where thousands of North Korean troops, fighting alongside Russian forces, have opened an intense front against Ukraine. From adjacent Russian territories, they launch massive waves of drones toward Ukrainian positions and cities.

Since 2022, Ukrainian defenders have been confronting these relentless aerial assaults. With each new wave, they have refined their skills, adapting their training and tactics to detect, track, and destroy incoming drones before they reach their targets.

Defense positions of three units from the 117th Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces, known as the “Rage Defenders,” cover a particularly high-intensity perimeter. Their preparation includes training in a Ukrainian-developed facility that uses advanced live-view three-dimensional simulation systems, allowing soldiers to rehearse real combat scenarios with precision and realism.

Within the unit, strong bonds are forged under constant threat. Soldiers operate as tightly coordinated teams, relying on discipline, trust, and rapid response to counter aerial attacks. These men once lived ordinary lives and chose to leave behind families, careers, and personal ambitions to defend their country and its freedom.

Every day, of Iranian-made Shahed explosive drones arrive in coordinated waves, flying far beyond the front lines toward Ukrainian cities. Their purpose is not only military disruption but terror. They are designed to strike civilian areas, exhaust air defenses, and instill fear among the population. Understanding this dimension of the war is essential: it reveals that the conflict is not confined to trenches and battlefields, but deliberately extends into civilian life, targeting the very fabric of society.