From courtroom to battlefield: How Ukrainian judge became a drone hunter
Judge Mykhailo Odariuk (photo: RBC-Ukraine)
Alongside the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), Ukrainian cities are being protected by citizens who work their regular jobs during the day and then stand guard in volunteer units at night. Among their duties is tracking the movement of Shahed drones and assisting in shooting them down — more about how this works – in the RBC-Ukraine material.
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For two years now, Mykhailo Odariuk, a judge from Kharkiv, has been protecting the sky over Kyiv. Due to the war, he was forced to leave his job as a judge in Izium when, in 2022, Russian forces approached the city.
Now, he works at the Irpin City Court and puts on his military uniform every week after his judicial duties. He is far from the only judge in the Mriya volunteer unit. The unit was created by a retired judge who united colleagues around a shared cause. After undergoing training, people from all walks of life – librarians, managers, and physical therapists – now hunt Shahed drones together.
Evacuation from Kharkiv and work in Irpin
Before the full-scale war, Judge Mykhailo Odariuk worked in Izium, Kharkiv region. He was the head of the court, and after his term ended, he continued as a regular judge. On the first day of the Russian invasion, the court's operations were suspended as Russian troops advanced toward Izium.
Mykhailo returned to his hometown of Kharkiv, where he lived with his wife and two sons. He planned to volunteer for the military to help defend the city. However, on the very day that he and a colleague were preparing to enlist, a Russian missile struck the military headquarters they intended to join.
"There was a lot of tragedy in that moment," Mykhailo recalls in an interview with RBC-Ukraine. "That very night, we decided we had to leave. We evacuated to Western Ukraine and waited until I could be reassigned to another court."
Initially, he hoped to work in Kharkiv or Kyiv, but his request was denied. Later, he was offered a temporary judicial position in Irpin, which he accepted. He currently serves as the deputy head of the court. Two other displaced judges work alongside him – one from Melitopol (Zaporizhzhia region) and another from Zolochiv district (Kharkiv region).
After moving from Kharkiv, Mykhailo Odariuk works at the Irpin City Court
The Izium Court has not resumed operations. "First, the repair costs are enormous, as the courthouse was hit by two bombs, and the courtrooms were destroyed. Second, all the essential equipment needed for the court to function was looted," he explains.
Two years of protecting Kyiv’s sky
In March 2023, Shahed drone attacks on Kyiv and surrounding areas intensified, Mykhailo recalls. He began looking for ways to contribute to the city's defense.
"You finish work and feel like you’re doing something useful, but something is still missing. You don’t feel like you’re actively defending your country. I found out about a local territorial defense unit, and that they required an official contract. I didn’t want to join some unofficial group with unclear accountability and access to weapons. The contract was for three years, I read through it, saw that it was fair, and signed up," says the judge.
Now, he is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to Ukraine's defense while continuing his primary legal profession.
"For two years now, we've been protecting the skies over Kyiv and the Kyiv region from Shahed drone attacks," Mykhailo says.
Who hunts Shaheds in Volunteer Territorial Defense Units (VTDU)
Territorial communities can form volunteer units, while their activities are controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. VTDUs are subordinate to military command.
Some VTDUs are periodically disbanded, and some members transfer to other units or join the AFU. However, the core teams usually remain, consisting of people who have already gotten used to working together and understanding each other. This teamwork is essential for effectively shooting down drones—everyone must work in sync.
To join a volunteer unit, one must pass an interview and selection process. If successful, recruits undergo several weeks of training. No one is allowed to start duty without completing the necessary courses.
Max, in his civilian life, is a rehabilitation specialist and trainer
"You need to go through proper training and drills, where you learn to shoot, move correctly, and identify targets. Shaheds are fast-moving targets, so we need to be well-prepared," explains Odariuk.
In the VTDU, there are people from various professions alongside him. Some are already retired, while others are lawyers, state officials, and public servants who want to contribute to the country's defense.
Max was also previously involved in film directing. He decided to help shoot down Shaheds after a tragic event — when a child was killed by a Shahed in Kyiv.
"This made me realize that if life allowed me to be here right now, I needed to do something. So, I do this — I destroy Shaheds. Because I don’t want to see children die," he says.
Iryna Akimova is an English teacher by education and works as a library director in the town of Kotsiubynske, near Kyiv. After her workday ends, she puts on a military uniform and goes on night patrols. She has been doing this for two years.
Iryna Akimova is the director of the library in Kotsiubynske, Kyiv region
"My son is currently serving in Donetsk (in the AFU). I want to help him and his fellow soldiers, but I can’t be there — so I am here. I do what I can by protecting Kyiv’s sky. My son respects my decision, but he worries a lot and tells me, 'We’ll handle things here.' But my heart tells me I must do this. If I can help, then I will," she explains.
Another team member is a pharmacist who operates a tablet with a special program that detects enemy drones during night shifts.
"My task is to identify them and report where they are heading to my team. But this is highly classified information. So please, if you ever see a Shahed, be careful," he warns.
A pharmacist also serves alongside the group of volunteers
Their comrade Yevhen signed a contract with another VTDU in 2022 before transferring to "Mriya".
"For me, the most important thing is defending the sovereignty of my country and contributing to victory. By now, we have a well-coordinated team—everyone knows each other, and we are a strong combat unit," he says.
VTDU "Mriya" was founded by a retired judge, which is likely why many members are also judges.
"We have judges from various jurisdictions and specializations: appellate courts, cassation courts, and the Supreme Court. There are also judges from the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine who fully participate in the patrols. We even have members from tax authorities and the police. Many of them are not subject to mobilization due to age or health conditions, but they still want to contribute to the country’s defense," explains Odariuk.
Yevhen has been serving in the volunteer force since 2022
"We must create a wall of fire" – How the patrols work
Six people take up the position each time. Each has his own weapon. In about 2-3 hours, the soldiers know in which direction the Shaheds are flying and when they can theoretically reach their point. It helps to be prepared in advance.
"We all open fire together if we see a target. That is, we have to make a certain wall of fire to hit the drone so that it starts falling and lands in a place safe for people," Mykhailo says.
The position where the guys are on duty is stationary (not mobile). From here, they open fire on a "one" readiness. Usually, one soldier has to be on duty for one day a week. However, there are different options. The position is within the city of Kyiv, so the volunteers have to be responsible for where they shoot.
"Drones are not just flying in groups. They fly 10 or 12 at a time, and then they fly away, and you don't know when they can reach your position. The radius within which we can open fire is limited. There is a clear prohibition - we cannot shoot back because there are residential buildings there. We have to minimize the risk so that there is no damage to their health or property. We categorically do not shoot towards the houses," the judge added.
All volunteers undergo special training before their duties
Duties take place at night, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. During the alert in Kyiv and Kyiv region, an officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine gives all instructions.
"There are three types of readiness: 1, 2, 3. "Three" means we pack all our things and can rest. Readiness "two" means we are all in position, ready for "number one." And readiness "number one" is when you can and are allowed to shoot without an additional order. Having certain technical means and understanding where and how the enemy target is moving, we stand and wait to open fire and hit the target," he explains.
The alarm notifications that come in Kyiv Digital or other apps do not concern the military. They have their own means to calculate the movement of enemy targets and give the order to fire.
Lately, Shaheds have been flying to Kyiv very often. They have to stay awake all night because the alert can start late in the evening and last almost until morning. The soldiers may not have time to take a nap while on duty.
What happens to downed Shaheds
When a drone is shot down, fighters must write a report and submit it to the duty officer. A central command collects data on where the drone was heading. Strict procedures and regulations must be followed.
"There is a clear algorithm for what you must do: record a video, prepare reports. You might fire for five seconds but then spend two hours filling out paperwork," explains the judge.
Recently, a drone crashed near where the fighters were stationed. Mykhailo's comrade, Oleksii, showed a bag filled with debris from one of the Shaheds that was shot down at their post.
"It was a Shahed with an explosive payload. It was hit by machine gun fire, and we deployed to the crash site. These fragments will be sent to the main headquarters for examination and analysis," explains Oleksii.
To help defend Kyiv, Mykhailo Odariuk was looking for an official community. He found the VTDU and signed a three-year contract
The downed drone fell just 70 meters from the position where the team was stationed that night. Fortunately, everyone survived, but the explosion happened dangerously close to them.
Mykhailo says he watched a video of the drone being shot down.
"It was a terrifying video. What saved them was a small building that happened to be between them and the explosion. Even though it was small, it absorbed the blast, and no one was injured," he recalls.
Volunteers salary in the VTDU
The word "voluntary" applies in every sense, says Mykhailo Odariuk. Volunteers in the Territorial Defense Volunteer Units do not receive a salary. But money is not the reason they join in the first place.
"We bought our uniforms ourselves. Weapons and ammunition are provided, so we don't have to buy those. But when you go to the training range, you pay for your own transportation. Once you're at the range, the state provides everything else. But no one pays us for this. And honestly, we never expected to be paid," he explains.
At one point, Mykhailo heard that there were proposals to disband the Territorial Defense Volunteer Units.
"Andriy Kozhemyakin, a member of parliament, came to our unit. He said, 'Wait a minute, these people aren’t getting paid. They go out voluntarily. They put themselves in danger and try to make things better. Why would you disband them?'" Mykhailo recalls.
The volunteers of VTDU "Mriya" are stationed at their regular post, where they hunt down Shahed drones during their shifts
Mykhailo, as a judge, receives a salary from his main job.
"But if I work full-time and get paid, what about those who serve in the VTDU without pay? How do they survive? They protect us, yet they receive nothing. Some of our volunteers are pensioners, living on very modest pensions. They still have to pay for transportation, buy uniforms, and cover other costs.
We raise this issue occasionally with the Kyiv city authorities, but so far, there haven't been any visible results," Odariuk notes.
Ukrainians continue to prove that defending the country is not limited to a single profession — it’s a shared responsibility. Volunteer units have long been an integral part of Ukraine’s Defense Forces. Their example demonstrates that anyone — whether a judge, a librarian, or a rehabilitation specialist—can play a role in protecting Ukraine.
