CNN reporter Nick Peyton Walsh and a cameraman came under fire from Russian drones while working with members of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade in the Donetsk region. The journalist published a report about the experience for CNN.
The film crew accompanied the Ukrainian military on the section of the road between Druzhkovka and Konstantinovka, which the military calls the “Road of Life.” It is along this route that deliveries are made to one of the most difficult sectors of the front, the material says.
According to Walsh, the planned hour-long route turned into a five-hour ordeal, during which time the group survived at least 14 attacks or close encounters with Russian drones.
“Drones are now controlling the war in Ukraine,” the journalist noted in the story, describing the constant buzz in the sky, explosions and the need to hide in forest belts after each warning of a threat.
Together with the journalists were Ukrainian soldiers from the 24th brigade – Kosta, Sashko and Bogdan. They repeatedly opened fire on Russian drones and even shot down one of the drones directly over the road.
The material also states that the Ukrainian military on this section of the front often moves on foot, as equipment becomes the main target for drones. Some cargo is delivered using robotic platforms.
Walsh described the road as being covered in craters, burned-out vehicles and anti-drone screens. According to him, the constant sound of drones over the road has become a familiar background for the military working on this section of the front.
