By day, Yevhen Mezentsev is a judge at Kyiv’s administrative court. By night, he and 40 of his colleagues swap their robes for camouflage. From a high-rise building on the outskirts of the city, they hunt for Russian Shahed drones.

Kyiv

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Ukraine: Volunteers help defend Kyiv skies from Russian drones

Yevhen Mezentsev, typically serving as a judge at Kyiv's administrative court, transforms his role after hours to safeguard the city. Alongside 40 colleagues, he exchanges his judicial robes for camouflage attire. Positioned atop a high-rise building on the outskirts of Kyiv, this group focuses on detecting Russian Shahed drones, aiming to protect the city from aerial threats.

The initiative illustrates a remarkable shift from their day jobs, showing the depth of citizen involvement in defensive efforts. This volunteer group's activities underscore the diverse contributions towards national defense amid ongoing hostilities, specifically targeting the detection and neutralization of drone threats that loom over Kyiv.



Volunteers help defend Kyiv skies from Russian drones

They are among Russia's most feared weapons, Shahed drones. They are small, cheap and available in huge quantities. Judge Yevgen Mazentsev has taken up his own personal battle against the drones. During the day Mazentsev works at Kiev's administrative court, but after work he swaps his court dress for camouflage and starts hunting drones. He and other judges take up position on a high-rise building on the outskirts of the city. Their most important weapon, a museum-era machine gun. This weapon was used even in the First World War and in the Second World War. It's quite reliable, but it's obviously not the best weapon for shooting down high-tech drones. We really need more modern and more effective weapons to fight, because it's obvious that Russia will not stop this war until it's stopped by force." Forty judges have joined the volunteer drone hunters. They call themselves Team Justice. As judges they are considered indispensable in the capital, so they are not allowed to join the army on the front lines. But their nightly volunteer work has also become crucial, relieving the city's regular air defence force. And despite their outdated equipment, they've managed to down numerous Shahed drones. They say, though, the biggest challenge is staying alert and ready to jump into action. It's happened to me many times. I'm quite relaxed, but then suddenly the air raid alert starts. We get ready, we climb to our firing positions, and we start shooting. The judges can remain in their posts for up to 24 hours at a time. In the capital and elsewhere, morale is declining. Ukraine is struggling to sign up new recruits. Not everyone in this world is born to be a warrior. Not everyone is born to be a responsible citizen. I don't want to condemn people who don't take on a more active part to defend our country from this aggression. Everyone makes their own choices in life. Russia is intensifying its air campaign. And this means that these judges turned drone hunters may be spending more of their time monitoring the night sky over Kiev.

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Ukraine Invasion