UAV operators from the Burevestnik detachment told about the situation in the Chasov Yar area

Operators of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the Russian volunteer detachment Burevestnik told Izvestia on December 23 about the situation on the line of contact in Chasovy Yar in the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR).

"Now it is noticeable that everyone is sitting in positions. There is no equipment on the line of contact, it does not come closer. <...> Mostly, drones are flying," noted the operator of an FPV drone with the call sign Yadro.

He added that it is currently impossible to encounter a tank, armored personnel carrier or infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) there.

Burevestnik also spoke about the training of recruits before going out on a combat mission.

"On average, it takes two to three hours to be able to climb up and not crash into anything. To feel confident at the console, on average, it takes a week," explained the instructor of UAV operators with the call sign First.

It is specified that the training consists of several stages: first on a simulator in the classroom, then on the range and only then - in real combat conditions.

Izvestia correspondent Alexander Fedorchak practiced on the UAV simulator and noted that it resembles a computer game.

"The recruits are given a remote control in their hands, and they start flying under the clear supervision of the instructor," the journalist said about the training of operators.

According to the instructor, the training process of the Burevestnik squad takes 21 days, seven of which are spent on the simulator.

The Burevestnik UAV detachment is one of the youngest units in the volunteer corps and uses many technological innovations at the front. For example, the volunteers have turned radio-controlled cars into ground-based kamikaze drones, with the help of which they clear minefields. Another know-how is an enlarged FPV drone that can even carry an anti-tank shell or a 120-mm mine.

"The army is commanded by me and the sergeant!"

How fighters of the "Center" group prepare for assault operations

Earlier in the day, Denis Pushilin, head of the DNR, said that Russian forces had taken control of the Severny neighborhood in Chasovy Yar. He noted that the advance is not very fast, but it is successful.

Before that, on December 21, the Russian military defeated Ukrainian brigades near a number of DNR settlements, including Chasovy Yar.

On November 30, tankers of the Southern Group of Forces destroyed a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone control point near Chasov Yar. The strike was carried out by a T-72BZ tank, while the drone operators carried out fire correction and objective control.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.