From video games to battlefield: Ukraine's drone pilots forged by gaming culture

By Al Jazeera English

Community Score: 50% | 1.4K views | 1w

0 community ratings: null thumbs up, null thumbs down

Drone pilots in Ukraine's military are increasingly drawn from a generation raised on video games, with many saying skills honed in titles like Counter-Strike and Need for Speed help them operate first-person view (FPV) drones on the battlefield. At a drone-racing competition in western Ukraine, young soldiers—some on leave from the front lines—demonstrate how gaming reflexes, co-ordination and tactical thinking translate to real combat. The work is seen as technical, specialised and less physically demanding than infantry roles, making drone units attractive to younger recruits in a country working to expand its armed forces. Al Jazeera's Audrey MacAlpine reports from Truskavets, Ukraine. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://X.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https:/

Tags: FPV drones Ukraine, Russia Ukraine conflict, Truskavets Ukraine, Ukraine Russia drone war, Ukraine drone warfare, Ukrainian army recruits, Ukrainian drone pilots, al Jazeera, al Jazeera English, al Jazeera live tv news English, aljazeera live, aljazeera live tv news English, drone combat skills, drone racing Ukraine, first person view drones, gaming and warfare, modern warfare Ukraine, tactical drone pilots, video gamers turned drone operators, young soldiers Ukraine