Oleksandr Shamshur, a 41-year-old hairdresser, is one of many volunteers defending the skies of Ukraine against Russian attacks. As the first anniversary of the invasion approaches, Ukraine is becoming more adept at shooting down missiles and drones fired at cities far from the front lines. Shamshur takes pride in his role as a “drone hunter”.
He is a member of a territorial defence unit, which includes a lawyer and a businessman. When air raid alerts sound in and around Kyiv, they respond by attempting to shoot down Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones with a restored World War II machinegun.
“I am very happy because I am defending my country and our Ukrainian people,” Shamshur said as he scanned the skyline with a thermal camera and range finder from his rooftop position. His fellow fighter was adjusting the green barrels of the Soviet-made “Maxim” machinegun.
Shamshur also works in a beauty salon, cutting hair and talking to clients. He said it never occurred to him to run away when Russia invaded, so he joined the territorial defences and began delivering food to civilians and helping evacuate people.
On the night of December 29-30, Shamshur said his unit shot down two drones over Kyiv. He and his team members have passed on their skills to other units. He wears several badges on his camouflage uniform, including one that reads “Drone Hunters” in English and another in Ukrainian reading “Ronin” – a feudal Japanese warrior – which he has adopted as his nom de guerre.
At work in his salon, Shamshur still wears military khaki as he styles hair. He tries not to talk to his clients about the war, calling it “dark” in contrast to the “light” in the peaceful part of his life. He is proud of his role as a defender of Ukraine and is determined to continue protecting his country.