Why drones can't replace Ukraine's patrol troops

In this report, the Kyiv Independent's Nick Allard and Asami Trajima travel to Kharkiv Oblast to meet patrol soldiers from Ukraine's 60th Mechanized Brigade, part of the Third Army Corps, and witness the training required to perform one of the military's most dangerous roles.

The soldiers share what it's like to operate within meters of Russian forces - and how a reconnaissance mission can quickly turn into a close-range firefight. As drones increasingly dominate the battlefield, their work shows why some of the most dangerous military missions still require soldiers on the ground.