In brief
Ukrainian troops returning home face a unique trauma from drone warfare, affecting their mental health and perception of safety in civilian life.
In Kyiv, Pavlo, a 30-year-old drone operator, has just returned from the front lines of Ukraine but finds himself still haunted by the audible specter of drones. Sitting in a small apartment he shares with his wife, Pavlo attempted to fly a drone indoors, revealing the intricacies of controlling these devices. However, his attempts were thwarted by technical issues. During the war, his role was to pilot First-Person View (FPV) drones, which quickly became the weapon of choice on the battlefield, supplanting traditional munitions in favor of precision-targeted strikes against armored vehicles and troop movements.The presence of FPVs introduces an everlasting sense of danger; Pavlo notes, "You cannot hide from the FPV,” and emphasizes the futility of trying to escape its eerily distinctive buzz. The horrifying sounds he endured in combat now echo in his civilian life, where everyday noises like lawnmowers and air conditioners trigger distressing memories of warfare. "I don't like to go into nature anymore and hear this sound," Pavlo admits, as the trauma of his experiences manifests in new ways, contributing to a phenomenon now dubbed “droneophobia”. Dr. Serhii Andriichenko, chief psychiatrist at a military hospital in Kyiv, confirms a drastic rise in mental health issues among soldiers dealing with the relentless sounds of drones over the past year. Post-deployment, many are experiencing acute stress, with the sounds of common urban conveniences sending soldiers into panic, reflecting a unique trauma far evolved from previous forms of warfare. Across the frontlines, the drones create an atmosphere of perpetual tension. Savur, another soldier who lost an arm to an FPV drone strike, laments the omnipresent drone sounds that linger even in their absence, sharing "the sound of a shell lasts just a few seconds, but the sound of the drone is there most of the time."As soldiers return home to civilian life, aversions to noise have intensified. They are even seen hiding or fleeing from mechanical sounds triggering anxiety related to the drones. The quiet moments can be just as unsettling; silence can signal an impending threat, and being conditioned to listen intently for the whir of a drone has ingrained an unrelenting fear. The psychological warfare of drones doesn’t stop at the frontline. Civilian life is equally perilous, as cities like Kherson have become prime targets for drone strikes, with residents reporting a constant state of alert, fearing for their lives due to the FPVs. Dmytro Olifirenko described his experiences in Kherson, recalling an instance where he sustained injuries from a drone attack while waiting for a bus. The sounds of life—a buzz of daily activity—now morph into persistent reminders of trauma, as both civilians and soldiers confront their own psychological battles against the drones that once sought them on the battlefield.With drone warfare contributing to a redefined landscape of fear and mental health challenges, the profound impacts of these technologies signal a new chapter in the human cost of modern conflict. War has fundamentally altered how those affected perceive their environment, transforming simple sound into a menacing reminder of the turmoil that can erupt at any moment.
