Two Ukrainian soldiers look up at a drone.
Ukrainian soldiers flying a drone during a military training session in Donetsk, Ukraine, on August 17, 2023.
  • A Ukrainian soldier said rifles are a thing of the past, and drones are the future of warfare.
  • Valentyn Ilchuk told Metro that he and his three-man unit use drones to target Russian forces.
  • "If you ask me what war will be like in five to 10 years, there will be far fewer rifles," he said.

A Ukrainian soldier said his unit has not shot their rifles in six months, with the focus heavily on drone warfare.

Valentyn Ilchuk, the leader of what he called a three-man "hunter-killer crew," has been sharing his military exploits on Facebook from the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, where the Ukrainian counteroffensive is making slow progress.