Ukrainian Drone Operator: See Mom, Those Videogames Were Useful after All

A man checks the debris next to a damaged office building in the Moscow City following a reported Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow, Russia, August 1, 2023. (Reuters)
A man checks the debris next to a damaged office building in the Moscow City following a reported Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow, Russia, August 1, 2023. (Reuters)
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Ukrainian Drone Operator: See Mom, Those Videogames Were Useful after All

A man checks the debris next to a damaged office building in the Moscow City following a reported Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow, Russia, August 1, 2023. (Reuters)
A man checks the debris next to a damaged office building in the Moscow City following a reported Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow, Russia, August 1, 2023. (Reuters)

The four propellers hum like a bee, the black drone zips into the air. Mykhailo, a 25-year-old Ukrainian soldier, stands under a tree surveying the whizzing landscape through his goggles, steering with fingertips on the remote.

"Every time I put on my goggles and take the joystick, I think about my mother telling me those video games won't do me any good," he says with a smile.

"Well, if this isn't useful, then what is?"

Drones have played a central role in the Russia-Ukraine war, deployed by both sides. There are big drones that can fly hundreds of miles, some that hover over the battlefield taking pictures and others that carry weapons to drop on targets.

But there may be no more characteristic weapon of this war than the tiny, inexpensive "first-person view" (FPV) drones, designed to crash straight into a target on the battlefield, steered by a pilot wired into a virtual reality headset.

It is a constant game of cat and mouse against enemy troops, who try to interfere with remote signals using electronic warfare (EW) systems, said Mykhailo, who did not give a surname and uses the military call sign "Joker".

"You cannot work from the same position many times, because the enemy reacts to it, turns on the EW, jams our drones," he explained in between test flights of a new batch of drones received by his unit in southern Ukraine's frontline Zaporizhzhia region.

"We need to constantly look for new positions, where to fly from, and for new targets."

Unlike other drones that can be sent up and monitored, the FPV drones never simply hover; they are always flying fast and looking forward. Their cameras don't even point downwards.

"The pilot must always be in full control of the drone, of its flight," Mykhailo says. "It can attack at speed, from height, in various ways - each pilot flies the drone in his own style - but it always attacks at speed."



Nintendo Offers New Switch 2 Details ahead of June 5 Launch

People stand in front of Nintendo's logo in Tokyo, Japan January 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
People stand in front of Nintendo's logo in Tokyo, Japan January 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
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Nintendo Offers New Switch 2 Details ahead of June 5 Launch

People stand in front of Nintendo's logo in Tokyo, Japan January 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
People stand in front of Nintendo's logo in Tokyo, Japan January 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

Nintendo has announced a June 5 launch date for its latest gaming console, the Switch 2, which will introduce interactive chat and screenshare functions to connect gamers.

At its 60-minute Nintendo Direct presentation, the company revealed a more vibrant display on the Switch 2, a larger screen and several games that will launch with the console.

Central to its updated system is a new “C” button on its Joy-Con controller, which will launch a new “GameChat” feature that allows you to “communicate with friends and family while playing a game,” and let you share your game screen with other players. A built-in microphone will also allow you to chat with other gamers, The AP reported.

Perhaps the most contemporary function yet for the Switch 2 is the ability to use the Joy-Con controllers like a computer mouse. The developer displayed multiple ways to use the new function in games, such as angling a club in a golf game.

Wednesday's presentation led off with an extended look at a new Mario Kart game that saw in-game characters doing flips, tricks and rail grinds. The developer also unveiled a new James Bond game, dubbed Project 007, revisiting a classic Nintendo 64 console hit revered by many first-person shooter game fans.

The new console will be backwards compatible — able to play physical and digital Switch games — but users will need to purchase a new type of SD memory card for the Switch 2. The presentation revealed that normal SD cards will not be compatible with the system, but data from the original Switch can be transferred to the new console.

Nintendo plans to host “Switch 2 Experience” events in several countries, where gamers can get a hands-on experience with the new system. Those events are planned for cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris beginning this month.