In this exclusive interview with Kyiv Post, Deputy Company Commander Eugene Lesin, from the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) top-rated Darknode UAV interceptor unit, reflects on next-generation warfare and the rapid adaptation of air defenses.
Every day and night, across Ukraine, air defense units are on alert. From Kyiv to frontline towns, radar screens light up as waves of Russian drones and missiles cross the border.
Night crews work through the dark hours to intercept Russian drones before they reach residential areas, power infrastructure, or hospitals.
Air defense has become one of the country’s most critical lines of survival – a constant, nationwide effort that rarely stops.
As Russia has expanded both the scale and sophistication of its aerial attacks, Ukraine’s defense has been forced to evolve rapidly. What once relied primarily on ground-based missile systems is increasingly shifting toward UAV interceptor units – agile, cheaper, and faster to adapt.
The war in the air is no longer only about missiles and fighters, but about drones hunting drones, software, rapid iteration, and operators who must learn and adjust in real time.
One of the units driving this transformation is Darknode, a UAV interceptor battalion within Ukraine’s 412th Brigade of Unmanned Systems Forces. By January 2026, the battalion had shot down more than 2,000 Shahed-type drones and was ranked number one in Ukraine’s DELTA system for drone interception.
Kyiv Post spoke with Eugene Lesin, Deputy Company Commander of Darknode, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where Ukrainian officers, defense startups, investors, and policymakers met to translate frontline experience into scalable technology.
Lesin joined the AFU in 2024 after pausing his work as a volunteer, software developer, and poet, and was directly involved in building one of Ukraine’s first UAV units dedicated exclusively to air defense.
In this exclusive interview with Kyiv Post, Lesin explains how the Shahed threat has evolved, why UAV interceptors are reshaping modern air defense, and what lessons Ukraine’s experience holds for Europe and the rest of the world.
KP: Eugene, your unit, Darknode, is currently ranked number one in the DELTA system rating — the digital brain of the Ukrainian defense that provides real-time situational awareness across the entire front. Am I right?
Eugene Lesin (EL): Yes, we’re ranked number one in a specific niche – destroying Shahed-type fixed-wing strike drones used by Russia.
KP: Your battalion has intercepted over 2,000 Shaheds to date. How has the Shahed threat changed in early 2026 compared to a year ago?
EL: The Shaheds appeared in late 2022, and throughout this period – almost four years now – they have evolved. The Russians have heavily improved them, not only by increasing thELr numbers. At the beginning, we had maybe 30 or 40 Shaheds per strike. Now, during massive attacks, we see 500, sometimes 800 Shaheds. They also introduced new technology: manual control, video reconnaissance, mesh modems, CRPA systems that counter our jamming. At this point, Shaheds have become a real strategic threat, and also a significant technological challenge.
KP: What is the secret sauce behind this number-one ranking? Is it a startup culture within the military – fast iteration, ignoring rigid hierarchies – that allows you to outsmart a much larger, more traditional Russian military?
EL: I wouldn’t call it a secret sauce. We don’t have a silver bullet. Our strongest component is people – passionate, highly skilled people who want to get the job done. Many in our unit come from civilian backgrounds: creativity, literature, business, marketing, sports, education. This wide range of skills, combined with the strong background of our commanders in business and state governance, allows us to combine different approaches – creativity, hierarchy, processes, short feedback loops, and a high rate of adaptation. It’s a hybrid approach – adapting constantly to changes on the front line and in the sky.
KP: We are seeing a shift from ground-based air defense to UAV interceptors. Drones are cheaper than missiles, but beyond the price tag: Why is this shift crucial for winning a long-term war of attrition? Is it about scalability or independence from Western supply lines?
EL: That’s a complex question, so I’ll split it. Is it the only way to counter the Russian threat? Absolutely not. There is no single solution to such a massive and intense threat.
But drones are a force multiplier. Besides being relatively cheap, they enable smart, asymmetric approaches to combat – including air defense. We don’t just launch surface-to-air missiles. We operate drones that can be manually controlled or enhanced to deliver hits.
Most of these drones are now manufactured in Ukraine. Their emergence was driven by a critical shortage of artillery, missiles, and personnel. Drones allow us to save our people.
KP: In 2026, everyone is talking about AI. How much of a drone intercept is still manual human skill, and how much is automated within Darknode?
EL: I can’t go into too much detail, but AI is improving rapidly and is under development in many domains. As a unit, we don’t develop these systems – we are operators. When we receive technology from manufacturers, the government, or the army, we operate it. Whether it uses AI, custom algorithms, or other software solutions, it enhances human capabilities. It helps protect our personnel and improves their effectiveness. It’s a multiplier of human skill.
KP: You see the remains of the drones you shoot down. Do you still find Western components in the latest 2026 models? And if those supply lines were cut, how much pressure would that relieve from your air defense systems?
EL: Honestly, not much remains after a Shahed is shot down – it shatters into pieces, sometimes into dust. My unit destroys them in the air, so I don’t personally analyze components.
From public sources, there have been reports of Western components, but I can’t share service information, and we don’t yet have confirmed data for 2026 to share.
From what I know, many components are Chinese, some are produced in Russia, and possibly some dual-use or civilian components come from the West.
But I’m just the guy who shoots them down.
KP: The recent Starlink episode highlighted a strange reality: private companies can potentially blind entire military units. Does this reinforce the need for 100% sovereign military technology to avoid dependence on individual CEOs?
EL: I won’t go too far into politics. I’m a serviceman; I work with the tools I’m given. Starlink is produced by a private company, but it’s provided through governments, the Pentagon, NGOs, and European partners who want to support us.
I don’t believe we are entirely at the mercy of any single company or individual. But from a technological perspective, we surely need and we surely want and try to have different technologies for backup. That’s basic doctrine – military or otherwise.
Producing everything in Ukraine would be ideal, but our production lines are under constant threat from missile and Shahed strikes. The reality is that we rely on allies worldwide. Diversifying technologies and supply lines is how we mitigate risk.
KP: Russian drones have violated NATO airspace – Romania, Poland, Scandinavia. What is one lesson Europe must learn from Ukraine before it’s too late? Is Europe prepared for a low-cost, high-mass drone war?
EL: There is no single lesson or solution. It requires a complex, integrated approach. What we tell our partners in Europe – here in Munich and elsewhere – is simple: learn from us. Learn our experience. Change your doctrine.
This isn’t just about drones; it’s about strategy and tactics. Shaheds and FPV drones are relatively low-cost but massively destructive. In 2025 alone, Russia launched at least 56,000 Shaheds into Ukrainian airspace.
We already went through the phase of using jets, missiles, guns – everything – before developing counter-UAV interceptor drones. Our allies can either go through that painful process themselves when it’s already too late, or learn from our experience and adapt faster and cheaper.
KP: You joined the AFU in 2024, leaving behind a life as a developer and poet. Does that mindset help in the highly technical world of UAV warfare?
EL: I worked in IT, and poetry and literature were my hobbies. I can’t say those specific skills directly helped me deploy a battery or build a battalion.
What helped was having a broad range of skills – human relations, empathy, combined with technical, tactical, and doctrinal thinking. This war introduced technologies and tactics that didn’t exist before. There were no drones before. The war changed forever. It’s a next-generation war, and we’re still adapting.
Having a diverse background may have helped me adapt faster and stay flexible.
KP: We’re soon entering the fifth year of the full-scale war. Some reports say Ukraine has its back against the wall. Do you feel that way – or do you feel more confident, or simply more realistic?
EL: It’s hard to compare. Every few months, the war changes – and so does how it feels.
Do I feel our nation has its back against the wall? I’m not sure. This winter – 2025–26 – has been the hardest of the entire war, which has lasted more than 12 years if you count everything.
But we are backed by friends and allies. And behind us is not a wall – it’s our loved ones. That’s what motivates us to protect them by any means.
KP: Thank you, Eugene.
EL: Slava Ukraini.
KP: Heroiam slava.