AP gets rare look as Ukraine tries to slow Russia with drones on new front

By VASILISA STEPANENKO and SAMYA KULLAB
Associated Press

KHARKIV REGION, Ukraine (AP) — From the sky, the Ukrainian drone unit commander had a bird’s-eye view of Russia’s renewed offensive playing out in the country’s war-ravaged northeast. Enemy forces have captured a string of Ukrainian villages over the past few days. One drone operator said Russian infantry unit rolled into the village of Strilecha with ease. In many other places this week, Russian troops were locked in intense battles with Ukrainian soldiers. Russia’s ground offensive has opened a new front and put more pressure on Ukraine’s overstretched forces. Ukraine is using bomb-laden drones to destroy military vehicles. The Associated Press watched as a serviceman destroyed a Russian vehicle from afar with a remote-controlled aircraft.