Incident in Semenivka
On April 18, in the town of Semenivka, Chernihiv region, 12-year-old Anatolii Prokhorenko neutralized a Russian FPV drone that was threatening his younger brothers and sisters. As the oldest child in a large family, he personally tore the fiber-optic cable controlling the unmanned aircraft, causing it to crash into bushes 100–150 meters away from the children.
Anatolii knew how to respond thanks to soldiers he had previously helped chop wood for in a forest. One of the fighters taught him that, as a last resort, he should tear the wire.
“I saw it starting to turn... I said: That’s it, 15 seconds, and I pull! My nephew runs out and shouts: Tear it! I tear it and see it begin to speed upward,” Anatolii recounted.
Current Situation in Chernihiv
The Prokhorenko family relocated to Chernihiv due to relentless shelling near the border. The household now raises five children. On the night of April 19, Chernihiv suffered a massive Russian drone attack that killed a 16-year-old boy.
Drone operator training experts note that the child was extremely lucky, as such drones typically operate in tandem with a Mavic providing targeting from above. Recently, occupiers have increasingly used fiber-optic-controlled drones because they are resistant to electronic warfare (EW) countermeasures. Physically cutting the cable remains an effective, though extremely dangerous, method of disabling them.
This incident highlights the growing threat drones pose in modern conflicts and the importance of teaching civilians basic safety measures. Acting on knowledge he had gained, Anatolii Prokhorenko managed to protect his siblings, underscoring the need for proper preparedness among populations facing wartime dangers. Given the frequency of drone attacks, especially in border regions, such cases may become more common, demanding that society adapt to new security realities.