Illya Sekirin is a Ukrainian Canadian who volunteered to fight for Ukraine in 2022 and was trained as a drone operator. In addition to frontline service, he worked as a translator for the Ukrainian General Staff and became an unofficial advisor to several members of the Stavka [Ukrainian High Command], a body chaired by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He advised on multiple operations; on drone strategy and tactics; and authored a paper that informed Zelensky’s decision to create Unmanned Systems Forces as a separate branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Sekirin is more recently the author of Rise of the Machines: Drone Warfare in the Russia-Ukraine War.

About Drone Wars

The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines.

Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.

Yurii “Phoenix” is a Major and the commander of the training group of the legendary UAV unit Lasar’s Group (National Guard of Ukraine). He is one of the key representatives of the unit, responsible for the search, implementation, and combat testing of engineering solutions. Phoenix also regularly takes part in interviews and expert discussions focused on the development of defense technologies in Ukraine.

Phoenix describes being part of a specialized unit that built bomber drones from scratch starting in May 2022, growing from a small team into a unit that shares its methods with other Ukrainian forces. This is clearly not a standard infantry outfit but a purpose-built drone warfare group.

Yuri states they have a special bomber drone model capable of reaching targets at up to 65 kilometers. This is a concrete, striking number, especially contrasted with the 3km range that was standard when the war began.

Yuri describes a fixed-wing drone (an F-12 plane) that acts as a mothership, flying 60–70km out, detecting targets with a high-resolution gimbal, and then releasing FPV drones to strike with high precision.

About Drone Wars

The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines.

Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.

Duane Blank is a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, where he held multiple command roles including Commanding Officer of Company C, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.

He previously served as a Marine Officer Instructor of Military Science and Leadership at Pennsylvania State University.

This convo covers:
• His journey from a Iraq machine gunner to developing tactics for the next big fight.
• Why information warfare will decide a conflict with China.
• The leadership style that will make your team do anything for you.

About Drone Wars

The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines.

Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.