Ep13 – Inside GUR's International Legion: An Elite Commander on Rat Tactics, the 80% Drone War, and the Future of Special Operations

His face is blurred and his voice is altered — because he is still fighting. In this episode, Rob Lee sits down with the commander of a separate special forces company in the International Legion of GUR (Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate): a veteran of the SBU's elite Alpha unit who fought through the Battle of Kyiv, the Kherson counteroffensive, and Bakhmut before taking command in the Legion.From the Zaporizhzhia front, he describes a war transformed. Russian "rat tactics" — two- and three-man teams infiltrating between positions with no evacuation and one order: advance or die. A kill zone where at least 80% of all casualties, on both sides, come from drones. Up to 12 FPVs expended on a single soldier. Urban fights where your unit holds one house and the enemy holds the next one for days. And a new pattern of FPV terror attacks on civilian cars and buses in Zaporizhzhia.He also explains what the drone war has retired — snipers down to 10% effectiveness, mortars now "like snipers," an FPV team worth more than an anti-tank system — and what NATO special operations forces must learn from it: units that are at most 25–30% infantry, built around technology, adaptability, and commanders who put their soldiers' lives first.Built & Promoted using ⁠StoryFunnels🎧 Listen, subscribe & support▶ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineMilitaryHistory0:00 - From SBU Alpha to GUR's International Legion6:25 - The Unit's Drone Arsenal: FPVs, Mavics, Vampires, Ground Drones8:26 - The Zaporizhzhia Front and "Rat Tactics": Do or Die, No Evacuation10:37 - FPV Terror Against Civilians — Up to 12 FPVs Per Soldier12:56 - Russian Spetsnaz and 2–3-Man Infiltration Instead of Assaults15:17 - 80% of All Casualties Are From Drones; Glide Bombs as Terror17:06 - Urban Combat: The Enemy in the Next House19:08 - Walking 10–30 km to the Zero Line; Anti-Thermal Suits21:33 - Who Joins the Legion (Norway to Nigeria): "You Must Become Better"25:04 - The Alpha Years: Combat Medic in Donbas28:16 - The Battle of Kyiv: Hunting Russian Agents Building to Building30:16 - The Kherson Offensive: Village by Village33:26 - Bakhmut: Mortars, Mavics, and a First Wound35:24 - Weapons the Kill Zone Retired — and the Future: Max 30% Infantry37:45 - How to Join or Support the Legion