Battling Under a Canopy of Drones in Ukraine

Luke Mogelson reports from the front line. Plus: economic actuality versus the “Vibecession”; Maya Hawke’s new album; and Joan Nathan, the “Jewish Julia Child.” View in browser | Update your preferences Tuesday, April 9, 2024 In today’s newsletter, virtual-reality warfare, and then: • Economic data versus the “Vibecession” • Maya Hawke’s new album • Joan Nathan, the “Jewish Julia Child” Battling Under a Canopy of Drones The commander of one of Ukraine’s most skilled units sent his men on a dangerous mission requiring them to outmaneuver a swarm of aerial threats. Photograph by Maxim Dondyuk for The New Yorker In the evacuated city of Kupyansk, twenty miles from the Russian border, the reporter Luke Mogelson embedded with a Ukrainian unit whose members describe themselves as “firemen”; it is their job to halt and reverse the enemy’s advances along the raging front line. Asked how these men are chosen for this responsibility, the unit’s sergeant answered, “The eyes—if they’re true.” Led by an unconventional lieutenant, call sign Perun—named for a Zeus-like god from Slavic mythology—the members of the 1st Separate Assault Battalion waited a week for “unworkable” weather, during which Russian heat-detecting drones would be less able to track them on what would be an audacious maneuver. When it was time to go, one soldier nudged his friend awake, saying, “Get up, the Russians aren’t going to kill themselves.” They would have to cross a semi-frozen swamp in twenty-four-degree temperature. Perun, who would also be using drones to guide the perilous offensive from a makeshift headquarters in the basement of an abandoned home, offered stern words of advice. “If you hesitate, if you stumble, nothing good will happen,” he explained. “So we must work together. On my side, I promise that I will not abandon you, and I expect the same from you. . . . If we’re together, we have to fight together, for one another. There is no other option.” This new kind of virtual-reality warfare means that the remote commanders must watch from afar as their men live or die in the trenches, while those on the ground can’t be sure which side is operating the drones above their heads. As the soldiers face intensifying danger, Perun and the other commanders sip tea from plastic cups and radio instructions with increasing agitation: “Quicker! You’ve already tugged fate by the balls as it is! Enough, goddammit!” Among all the horrors these men experience, watching as their fellow-firemen flail is deeply distressing. “The worst thing is not the Russians,” an officer who lost eighteen comrades in a single day says. “It’s when guys you trust and have fought with start mentally flagging. They fade out like a candle.” Read the story Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. 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Read the story » Fun & Games Dept. Crossword A Moderately Challenging Puzzle Fruit related to lychee: six letters. By Erik Agard Shouts & Murmurs I Can’t Stop Calling the National Guard I called the National Guard when I overbaked my brownies and my smoke alarm went off; I called the National Guard when I underbaked my brownies and I was worried they might make me sick. By Charlie Dektar Daily Cartoon Tuesday, April 9th By Olivia de Recat and Nate Odenkirk Name Drop: Can you guess the identity of a notable person—contemporary or historical—in six clues? Play a quiz from our archive » P.S. If you are a “Curb” enthusiast, mourning the final minutes of the show, you might allay your sorrows by revisiting James Kaplan’s profile of Larry David, from twenty years ago. Just remember, while you may achieve resolution by reading, there should be “no hugging, no learning!” Today’s newsletter was written by Hannah Jocelyn. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. 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