What do you get when you combine a toy drone, a convoy of Russian tanks, and a teen boy?

A spectacular adventure, brimming with spy skills and a heavy dose of bravery.

Fifteen-year-old Andrii Pokrasa turned a hobby into a heroic act in late February. Pokrasa used his drone to locate a column of Russian military vehicles heading toward Kyiv. He had bought the drone just last summer after becoming obsessed with a YouTube video of an aerial view of Kyiv. He’s afraid of heights, so he decided this was the perfect way to see the city from a bird’s eye perspective.

Pokrasa’s pastime turned into a present-day mission when his father contacted local armed forces to suggest his son might be able to help. This was in the very first days of the Russian invasion; Ukraine had limited supplies and military surveillance in place. After a commander discovered that Pokrasa was the only experienced drone pilot in the region, he agreed to let the 15-year-old help his country’s cause. Soldiers were struggling to find the exact location of their enemy as they headed toward the capital. The skateboarding, bike-riding, trampolining teen was it.

When night fell, Pokrasa launched his drone quickly and quietly from a field near his home in the general direction of the enemy. In a stroke of luck, one of the trucks had its headlights on and Pokrasa was able to use its light to locate the Russian column and take aerial photos to pinpoint their precise coordinates. Pokrasa and his father sent this information to the Ukrainian army, which was able to use it to intercept the vehicles before they reached Kyiv.

Mission accomplished. 

Pokrasa and his father have since performed further aerial reconnaissance missions using a bigger drone with a longer range supplied by the Ukrainian army. Asked if he was scared, Pokrasa said, “Yes, I am scared, but I can’t do it any other way.”