From video games to battlefield: Ukraine's drone pilots forged by gaming culture

Drone pilots in Ukraine's military are increasingly drawn from a generation raised on video games, with many saying skills honed in titles like Counter-Strike and Need for Speed help them operate first-person view (FPV) drones on the battlefield. At a drone-racing competition in western Ukraine, young soldiers—some on leave from the front lines—demonstrate how gaming reflexes, co-ordination and tactical thinking translate to real combat. The work is seen as technical, specialised and less physically demanding than infantry roles, making drone units attractive to younger recruits in a country working to expand its armed forces.

Al Jazeera's Audrey MacAlpine reports from Truskavets, Ukraine.

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