«Sometimes there are seven drones circling above us»: how energy workers are bringing light back to frontline cities in eastern Ukraine

An armored vehicle belonging to the energy company pulls into the city in the Pokrovsk region, which was devastated after the occupiers' offensive. Inside the vehicle is a crew of four repairmen, one of whom can hardly take his eyes off the image on the drone detector screen. It shows a road, trees, part of an empty city — the same view that a russian operator has a few kilometers away. He is looking for someone to kill or maim. However, for the repairmen, this «shared» picture is a way to save their lives. At least they can see what is happening above their heads as they drive to repair the broken power line and bring light back to the «gray» city

«The drones are flying. It’s picking up a signal, but it must be reconnaissance because you can see the horizon. And now it’s FPV… It’s searching, the bastard. Sometimes there are seven drones circling above us at the same time,» says Vitaliy, head of the Pokrovsk district pision of DTEK Donetsk Power Grid, commenting on the «pictures» on the detector screen.

The vehicles we ride in to repair power lines are covered with DTEK logos. Attacking repair workers and their vehicles is prohibited by international humanitarian law, the rules and customs of war, international leaders, and «guarantors.» However, when the occupiers spot vehicles or people in gray jackets, they do not miss the chance to «hunt.»

«We've already been hit by these machines when they tried to cover us, and drones attacked us several times. The last time we were in Hryshynomu, a „Molniya“ was flying over us. It turned around, hovered, looked, and flew into the car we were sitting in. We were lucky that the wind blew it away — it flew by a meter. Although that russian operator saw that the car was covered „DTEK,“ signs» — the man recalls.

Suddenly, his attention is drawn not to the image on the drone detector, but to an «update» in the sky: «See that white line in the sky? It’s either air defense shooting something down or a missile. No, wait, it’s a plane. See that loop? That’s a guided missile being launched. It will hit somewhere soon. We used to work where we are going now, and we saw four planes launch CABs over the city right before our eyes. It was… scary.»

While the DTEK crew is driving to the damaged power lines, the drone flies on. The screen shows it «circling» in place, looking for a target to attack. It flies next to the crew, but notices neither people nor cars. It circles around the destroyed enterprise, and then attacks the ruins. A few seconds later, an explosion is heard. Then, for a few minutes after that, there is silence in the sky. At this time, the guys are unravelling a new wire with six hands and climbing the pole with the help of «claws» to restore the power line. However, when one of them is at the top of the support, the «Chuyka"starts «screeching» again. A few seconds later, not one FPV appears above their heads, but a swarm. The drones have flown out to hunt, and the risk of the DTEK crew becoming a target for the occupiers is too high to continue working.

Vitaliy, together with journalists from «Vchasno», listens to the sound of machines, hits, and buzzing in the sky. The sounds mix together and sometimes seem to be something other than what they are. However, as the buzzing gets closer, the head of Pokrovsk REM sums up: «Drones are buzzing from all sides. And they’re flying towards us.»

When the drone buzzes dangerously close and from different sides, Vitaly yells at the repairmen to get down.

«It's flying towards us… Yes, it’s flying towards us. Guys, run, scatter! FPV! Drop everything, get away from the cars. Let’s go under the trees,» Vitaly yells.

The response time is a few seconds, although even that cannot guarantee anything. What’s more, rushing can backfire if safety is neglected. In particular, one of the repairmen is forced to climb down from the top of the pole using «claws» because of the drones. One careless move, and you can get injured even with safety equipment. But if you don’t hurry, the drone can spot its «tasty» target and attack the guy. This has already happened.

The physical discomfort of wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet weighing up to 10 kilograms adds to the difficulty of the repairmen’s work. This weight seems insignificant when working on the ground. However, when you have to climb several meters up (sometimes to the height of the fourth floor), then climb down because of a drone, climb up again, and climb down, it becomes a test of physical endurance. Not everyone can pass it.

While we and the repairmen hide under the trees, the guys scan the area anxiously: there is almost nowhere to hide except for the trees — it is «bare» territory. There are several buildings nearby, but it was precisely because of the air strike on them that the power line was damaged. So how safe they are and whether they will «finish off» the houses if they notice movement is a rhetorical question.

«We have been under fire more than once. Once, an FPV descended on our vehicle, and we all immediately scattered, ducked… But it was hanging right in the doorway. We thought it would destroy the vehicle. And now, it flies like that almost every time we go out. Sometimes we have to run and hide several times,» recalls repair technician Alexander.

In a few seconds, the drone flies on, but explosions can be heard from several directions — other FPVs are already attacking something. The repairmen assess the situation and decide to finish pulling the line as quickly as possible, because the lack of wind and clear weather are not on their side. So all movements are faster, including climbing on the «claws,» even though it is difficult. When a car rushes by, everyone freezes: fiber optics, for example, are not likely to be detected by a drone detector and will not transmit the image. And it is precisely this that can attack particularly treacherously. Everyone understands this, so when the final «Done!» is heard, everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

«Are we afraid to go to such places? Of course we are. Like everyone else. But we have to do it, so we do it. We help each other, and that’s all there is to it,» says craftsman Oleksiy.

In less than an hour at that location, the detector recorded seven drones flying above our heads. All seven hovered and, perhaps, «assessed» whether it was worth attacking. Although it is highly likely that thanks to DTEK’s camouflage, they did not notice them. At the same time, a dozen drones attacked nearby houses and surveyed the pylons where DTEK repairmen were fixing power lines. Each «survey» could end tragically — the russian operator could either launch an attack himself or give the coordinates to a «colleague» in terrorism. Fortunately, this time the repairs in the «gray» and ravaged city ended well: DTEK returned to base, and the people had power. However, it is unknown how many hours will pass before the next attack that will damage the pylons or wires. Sometimes it takes less than an hour.

«In the city where we lived, loved, married, and had children, we began to travel in bulletproof vests and an armored car»

The danger in the Pokrovsk region, as described by military personnel, directly affects the work of DTEK repair crews. If an assault is being prepared or launched in the direction of a settlement where power lines have been cut, crews do not go there. Vitaly emphasizes that his people only go to the site after the shooting has stopped.

«It's too dangerous because the russians are firing at our direction with everything they’ve got. And not accurately, but just to bombard us with shells. CABs, drones, and rockets are flying. It would be too dangerous to work in that area, so we are trying to wait until the situation calms down, or even return to base and go for repairs later. Even at night. But if I know that my people could be injured or not return from that trip, then they won’t go there. And when I give the go-ahead for that trip, I’ll be with them,» explains the head of the Pokrovsk REM.

He has been working with his colleagues on the front line since 2014. He recalls how, even before the invasion, they used to go to Avdiivka to repair power lines. At that time, they were often warned that enemy snipers were targeting anyone who moved, regardless of their uniform. So if they suddenly noticed something or thought something was wrong, they would shoot. Then, in 2022, rockets appeared — they called them «silent death» because they flew in first, and only then could the explosion be heard. Then came the «period» of CABs. And now — drones.

«Of all the things listed, drones are the most dangerous. If you or your car has been marked, there is no escape. Even if you notice it, you won’t have time to run anywhere. And if you are on a pole when a drone flies by or it spots you, that’s it. This is one of the most dangerous moments. The same applies to towers when we were still working on them, because you can’t jump off them. But now we don’t go there. If they spot us with such equipment, we’ll stay there forever.» says the man.

Since February 24, 2022, DTEK repair workers have come under fire more than 300 times. This figure includes not only cases when they were in the zone of potential damage, but also when they were specifically targeted. There were no wounded among the employees of Pokrovsk REM, but people in other departments suffered serious injuries. Some DTEK employees have been killed, although not while performing their duties. Because of this with the first assaults on Pokrovsk, crews began driving armored vehicles. This was mentally difficult, because they had previously driven through the same cities without armor and then went for walks with their families, feeling safe.

«When we lived in Pokrovsk itself, we drove without armour, but closer to Donetsk we used armoured vehicles. And when we moved to Dobropillya, we then drove around Pokrovsk in armoured vehicles… Now there are no places we can go without armour. In the cities where we walked, got married, and grew up, we drive in armored vehicles because the russians could kill us,» Vitaliy adds gloomily.

Encounters with drones are inevitable, and work is non-stop with no days off or time at home: in what conditions DTEK employees live and work in Donetsk Oblast

When we return to the DTEK «base» with the repairmen, the guys take off their equipment and spread out across the territory to rest for a short while. Another crew has gone to respond to a new call they received 10 minutes ago, and it will be several minutes or hours before the next notification of power line damage. Vitaliy, the head of Pokrovsk REM, puts borscht on the stove to warm up — he cooked it himself for the whole crew.

«I don’t have any folks who left or quit because of the war. I was abroad when the full-scale war started. I lived in Pokrovsk. When it got too dangerous there, I had to leave, but I still went to the city for work. We saw how it was getting more and more destroyed every day. It hurts…» Vitalii shrugs.

His colleague, friend, and DTEK technician Oleksandr recently moved from his native Zolotyi Kolodiaz near Pokrovsk. He has worked at DTEK almost his entire life, from the age of 20 until now, at 51. That is why he stayed at home when the occupiers stormed the Pokrovsk direction. And when one of the first swarms of FPV flew by, he realized that there was nothing left to wait for.

«I left on May 20. First, the shelling began, then drones started flying. And then one hit our house. A cluster munition exploded — either a „Smerch“ or a „Uragan“ — and the roof was gone. Then the FPV drones started attacking. First one at a time, and then when a whole swarm of them rolled in, we realized we had to leave,» the man recalls.

«I don’t have any folks who left or quit because of the war. I was abroad when the full-scale war started. I lived in Pokrovsk. When it got too dangerous there, I had to leave, but I still went to the city for work. We saw how it was getting more and more destroyed every day. It hurts…» Vitalii shrugs.

His colleague, friend, and DTEK technician Oleksandr recently moved from his native Zolotyi Kolodiaz near Pokrovsk. He has worked at DTEK almost his entire life, from the age of 20 until now, at 51. That is why he stayed at home when the occupiers stormed the Pokrovsk direction. And when one of the first swarms of FPV flew by, he realized that there was nothing left to wait for.

«I left on May 20. First, the shelling began, then drones started flying. And then one hit our house. A cluster munition exploded — either a „Smerch“ or a „Uragan“ — and the roof was gone. Then the FPV drones started attacking. First one at a time, and then when a whole swarm of them rolled in, we realized we had to leave,» the man recalls.

Losing their homes has had a profound impact on the lives of all DTEK Donetsk Region repair workers, but especially those who previously worked in the Pokrovsk region. The men sent their families to evacuation centers and remained behind to work near the front line. The work is risky, often irregular, and stressful. That is why their families are saving them.

The men freely admit that they miss their families, wives, and children very much. That is why the latter sometimes try to control what their husbands are doing — some jokingly, others out of fear of losing their loved ones. For example, master craftsman Oleksandr laughs that his wife controls him more than his bosses do.

«I have to call her in the morning and in the evening because my wife gets very worried. If I don’t call, she calls me and asks, ‘Where are you, why aren’t you calling, and what are you doing?'. I have to report that I’ve come home from work and that I’ve left for work,» says Alexander, a DTEK repairman, with a smile as he talks about his family.

Many DTEK employees have gone to war, despite the fact that the company has reservations. Some of them are carrying out their duties in Donetsk region, alongside their former colleagues. Sometimes, they are physically close to each other.

«We receive additional pay for being close to the front line and for dangerous trips. This is paid separately. But this is not a „lure“ for our people, just a bonus. No one here works only for money. That’s why I believe our guys should have status of combatants. We sometimes work closer to the front line than some military personnel. The guys are risking their lives, so there should be some benefits. For example, the possibility for frontline repairmen to retire earlier. But that’s just a dream,» Vitaliy adds with a smile.

The head of Pokrovsk REM says that without any «temptations» his colleagues continue to work in Donetsk Oblast. Those who were forced to move are employed in another region. However, those who remain in Pokrovsk region are those for whom the power lines near the front line are not just wires, but a path that once led home.

«The war has significantly altered attitudes toward our work. Previously, we would arrive half an hour or an hour after the lines were cut, and people were dissatisfied. Now, when they see us, they are delighted. It is a sign that they have not been abandoned. A month ago, we arrived in a village to repair the line after shelling. We had just started climbing the support. A woman came out of her house, saw us, and almost cried: ‘There was such shelling, it was so scary. I only just dared to leave the house, and you are already here, working! I have never seen anything like this before…' She hugged us and cried… People are grateful for what we do,» Vitaliy is convinced.

This material was made possible by the «Voices of Ukraine» project, which is part of the SAFE program implemented by the European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) in partnership with PIJL as part of the Hannah Arendt Initiative and with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office. The program partners do not influence the content of the editorial publications and are not responsible for it.