Inside secret frontline bomb factory where Ukrainian marines build kamikaze drone warheads to blitz Putin’s war machine

DURING many wars in the past, combat engineers worked on the ground or underwater, but now these soldiers are standing behind the enormous success of Ukrainian drone warfare. Even before a deadly FPV drone starts its hunt across the skies of eastern Ukraine, another battle has already been fought inside secret frontline bomb facilities. The Sun’s footage shows the bomb factory on Ukraine’s frontlines Credit: SERGEY PANASHCHUK Ukrainian servicemen in the frontline town of Druzhkivka, in Donetsk region Credit: Reuters It is fought by sappers of the unmanned battalion of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, who prepare and build warheads for combat kamikaze drones which obliterate hordes of Russian orcs. Today they are responsible for preparing the explosive elements used by both FPV attack drones and bomber drones, ensuring each aircraft can be safely armed before combat missions. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Footage obtained by The Sun reveals the painstaking work carried out by Ukrainian explosive ordnance specialists whose job is to prepare munitions that make frontline drone operations possible. The 36th Separate Marine Brigade’s unmanned systems battalion operates in Ukraine’s eastern kill zone, where FPV drones have become one of Kyiv’s most effective weapons against invading Russian forces. A large artillery shell is secured inside a heavy bench vice while a sapper carefully loosens its nose fuze with a wrench. Another soldier steadies the munition. The fuse is slowly unscrewed by hand, every movement deliberate and controlled. Every precise movement reflects the hazardous nature of the work and the concentration required before any drone reaches the battlefield. The outdated shell now stands upright on the workbench while the sapper, wearing protective gloves, carefully handles the removed components. Most read in The Sun Servicemen of the 15th ‘Kara-Dag’ Brigade of the Operational Assignment of the National Guard of Ukraine Credit: Reuters Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky Credit: AFP Around him are shelves stacked with tools, measuring equipment, containers and military supplies, while other personnel move quietly through the room. One of the sappers “kneads explosives like dough”. After the new explosive is installed into the shell, it is equipped with a safety fuse and is ready to be hung under an FPV to find its target. An experienced marine sergeant with the call sign Tourist, 41, is acting commander. He told The Sun: “Modern military sappers do far more than install or clear mines. They are engaged in modification, modernisation and production of new munitions. “Everything that can be used is reworked, tested and then employed against the enemy.” He says much of the unit’s work is rarely seen by outsiders, despite being essential to drone warfare. Each munition must be carefully prepared before undergoing testing and inspection ahead of operational use. Tourist said that the work demands specialist knowledge and discipline, because even a small mistake when handling explosive materials can have fatal consequences. He dismissed the common belief that drone pilots handle every aspect of an FPV mission. “Everyone should do their own job,” he said. “If the pilot is also trying to perform the sapper’s work, it increases the risk of mistakes.” Instead, sappers are responsible for safely preparing drones before launch and dealing with dangerous situations if something goes wrong after a drone has already been armed. Their role extends beyond the bomb factory. “When new launch sites are established near the front in eastern Ukraine, sappers are among the first troops to enter,” Tourist said. “They inspect the ground for explosive hazards, unexploded ordnance and abandoned enemy drones before the positions can be occupied.” Meanwhile, pilots concentrate on navigation, electronics and planning. Tourist believes keeping those responsibilities separate not only improves efficiency but also saves lives. After intensive operational rotations, his personnel spend their limited downtime rehearsing tactical drills, medical training and weapons skills. But, Tourist said, “the most valuable lessons still come from experienced soldiers working alongside younger recruits under real combat conditions”. While drone pilots have become the public face of Ukraine’s technological fight against Russia, every successful mission begins long before take-off. It begins in workshops like these, where skilled sappers quietly carry out the painstaking work that allows Ukraine’s drone units to hit their targets over the battlefields of the east. Comment now