The numbers were large, advancing with alarming speed. It looked as if there were no real opposition left to slow them down. In broad daylight, they moved with the precision of a swarm, aiming to seize Ukraine’s capital. Despite warnings from the United States, Kyiv and its supporters were not prepared for a full-scale invasion.
In Moscow, soldiers armed with portable missile launchers shot down helicopters that carried elite detachments. Kyiv stood fast. In this brave defense, the Bila Tserkva Anti-Aircraft Regiment played a fundamental role. Some of its members shot down five planes, buying time for a city bracing for siege. It was the last weekend of February, and every video of burning helicopters was shared with the same excitement as a football goal.
“This invasion has changed how war is understood,” notes Lieutenant Colonel Pavlo Semenov. “Before February 24 we targeted drones; the early weeks were about planes and helicopters.”
After 300 days, his unit earned a reputation as one of the most effective in the conflict, destroying hundreds of enemy targets. Kyiv faced three divisions forming a protective shield around the city, including the battles around Bakhmut and the Donetsk region. Their mission: prevent Kremlin forces from gaining air superiority over Ukraine.
patriotic delivery
For him, President Volodymyr Zelensky has pressed allies to increase the supply of anti-aircraft guns for months. The urgency grew as indiscriminate strikes on energy infrastructure began. The week’s triumphs were notable: Joe Biden promised Patriot missiles, the most advanced air-defense system on the market, along with other high-powered weapons such as the Hawk launcher donated by Spain.
Visible results followed. Kyiv reported that, at the start of October, 54% of attacks were thwarted; by December, the figure did not fall below 78% in major air offensives.
To achieve this, the Bila Tserkva regiment and other units formed a protective umbrella that integrated infantry, artillery, and civilian resilience. “If the enemy halted the assault or failed to reach its target, we stood firm,” explains Captain Sergey Borisov from a remote Donetsk outpost.
Yet there are no guardian angels in this sky war. “We know not every missile can be stopped. We train every soldier to persist, to have a second and a third chance to respond,” he admits.
He speaks from a few kilometers from the front line, in a place he would rather not name. Not far away, one of his division’s three batteries is hidden in fog and brush. These are the smallest unit types, using a 9K33 missile system known to insiders as a sometimes confusing symbol for both Ukrainian and Russian forces.
radar off
Five soldiers operate an old Soviet armored vehicle armed with surface-to-air missiles. They are joined by three more, riding in a pickup with portable launchers. The strong signal they emit is a beacon for danger. “Imagine lighting a Christmas tree,” Borisov jokes.
When they fire, the radar goes dark and they pull back to safety. If they move a few hundred meters, they can slip away. A few dozen may slip through, but shrapnel from the detonation is contained, and they avoid total destruction.
Hiding the ‘Osa’ system has become a crucial operation in the battle for survival. Since 2016, Ukrainian air and anti-air units have conducted regular “war games” at least once a month. Some hide; others try to locate coordinates. If a unit bunker is discovered, leaders face consequences, from reprimands to more serious actions.
18 months away from home
Eight months before the invasion began, front-line units were ordered to move all battery positions. By the moment the world watched smoke on television, most air-defense systems had already gone into hiding for extended periods. This may help explain why air warfare has not favored Moscow.
There is a heavy personal cost. Many soldiers expected to return home in March, but Putin’s aggression kept them at their posts for 18 months straight. It is a sacrifice that underpins the broader struggle for freedom.
“The army is ready to fight to the end, but victory depends on two factors: the people’s resistance to the enemy and the steadfast shipment of arms without interruption,” notes Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Dubei. “I tell my men that European countries shed blood for independence. Now it is our turn to pay the price.”
He speaks in a room adorned with photos of a dozen comrades who fell in battle—an altar of remembrance that no one wants to visit, yet everyone honors.