The Bulava unit is part of Ukraine’s Presidential Brigade, which also performs ceremonial guard duties in Kyiv but mostly became a regular combat brigade after the 2022 invasion. Ignatukha and his men saw the war changing and got into drone technology, using their own salaries to buy equipment and build their skills.

Russia and Ukraine appear close to agreeing to hold a new round of peace talks in Turkey this week, although the Kremlin said on Monday that the two sides held "diametrically opposed" positions on how to end the war.

The next round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia will take place in Istanbul on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday. This was reported to him by Ukraine's chief negotiator,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a joint press statement with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the first day of the two-day Ukrai