In August this year russian military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crews took part in “Falcon Hunting” competition. Teams from Russia, Belarus, Iran and Armenia were competing in artillery fire adjustment, reconnaissance, firing and physical training. However, it’s likely that behind the stage Iran was training russian instructors and operators of Shahed suicide drones. We identified who those russian operators were and found their families.
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Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff recently informed that Russians are preparing another drone attack from the occupied Crimea. Training of operators for UAVs produced in Russia and Iran is taking place in Sevastopol.
On 13 September Russia launched the first attack on Ukrainian civilian object using Shahed drones. According to Israeli military expert David Gendelman, they are “a cheaper substitute for expensive cruise missiles”.
Results of russian drone attack on Ukrainian capital. Photo by: Kyrylo Tymoshenko, President’s Office.
Intentional attack at civilian objects is a war crime that russia has committed around 4000 times using suicide drones, and it isn’t planning to stop, because it ordered another batch of drones from Iran.
There are faces to all the attacks: operators are controlling drones’ flight. To learn who they are and where they’re trained, we had to recreate the entire cycle of personnel training for russian military unmanned aviation, analysing and putting together events in Iran and russia.
“Message of peace, friendship and cooperation”
“Falcon Hunting” is one of the disciplines in Army Games, which is an annual military pastime russia invented. It “school sports day activities” for various military branches, like biathlon for tank corps. Russia is using this merrymaking in an attempt to strengthen the authority of its army and demonstrate the world’s support involving partner countries like Venezuela and Zimbabwe. This sufficed to call the competition ‘international’ and its winners ‘champions’ or ‘world prize takers’.
The military games have been taking place in August-September for eight years now, but “Falcon Hunting” appeared on the programme only in 2017. Winners’ podium in “Falcon Hunting” can serve as a certain touchstone for russia’s relationship with participating countries.
For instance, Kazakhstan was closely cooperating with russia in the past, and four previous competitions happened in Kazakhstan. Kazakh drone operators became winners the same number of times. Today they even weren’t among the participants. Russia might have been upset with Kazakhstan for its refusal to help destroy Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Armenia’s participion in “hunting” may be related to recent escalation in Karabakh conflict where russia traditionally supported Yerevan. Drone operators from the rookie country even placed third, and the victory was shared between russian and Iranian teams.
Despite being a regular competitor and always coming last in the tournament, this year Iran not only won, but became the organizer too.
“The purpose of holding the international military competition in 2022 is to convey the message of peace, friendship and cooperation of the Islamic Republic of Iran with other countries of the world to fight global terrorism and factors that make the world dangerous, as well as to increase the level of readiness, combat power and transfer military experience and achievements in the unmanned field to friendly countries, stated General Sardar Ali Bilali, Senior Advisor to the Commander of the Iranian Air Force, during the opening ceremony of the competition.
The competition venue can be changed
In 2022, “Falcon Hunting” tournament continued from August 15 to 27. According to the russian ministry of defense, it was taking place at the air field near Isfahan city where the 8th air base of Irani air-space forces is located. This is the largest military airfield in the country, which is also the main repair and training facility. However, Iranian media identified a different location for “Falcon Hunting”: an air field near the city of Kashan.
Kashan is located on the edge of the Maranjab, Desert, 200 km from Isfahan. In the suburbs of Kashan, along with the oldest civilian airport in Iran, there is a top-secret air base. Or, rather, it used to be top-secret, as it had been exposed last year. Back then Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz called it the heart of Iranian unmanned aviation and a training center for UAV operators. According to the Israeli minister, foreign terrorists, in particular, from Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, are trained here. Based on the data obtained, Gantz accused Iran of spreading “drone terrorism” in the region. Shahed-129 and Shahed-191 at Kashan air base, 3 June 2016. Photo by: independentpersian.com
“Our information indicates that Iran is preparing to urgently deliver hundreds of aircraft, including attack drones, to russia.”
Sullivan released satellite images of the Kashan airbase taken during the Russians’ visit and added that Iran is likely to conduct suicide drone training for them in July.
Air base in Kashan during the visit of the Russian delegation
Then Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in a telephone conversation with Dmytro Kuleba denied the sale of suicide drones to Russia. He said that the statement of the White House is a slander that is pursuing “specific political goals”. It was only in early November that Iran admitted to the sale of “Shahed”, but only a small batch and prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
However, officials in the US government told “The Washington Post” somewhat different information. They say that Iran delivered the first batch of “Shahed” suicide drones and “Mohajer” strike drones to russia much later, more specifically, on August 19. That is, already during the “Falcon Hunting”. On the same occasion, the Islamic Republic demonstrated its arsenal of drones in action.
150 drones of 1401 A.D.
On August 24-25, the Iranian military conducted a large-scale training of UAV operators “Drone Exercise 1401”. The number here means the year – it is 1401 in Iran now, which is 2022 according to our calendar.
This two-day training, which coincided with the russian war games, according to its spokesman, Admiral Seyyed Mahmoud Mousavi, demonstrates Iran’s ability to “build, operate, design and use all types of unmanned aerial vehicles”.
During one phase of “Drone Exercise 1401” in Isfahan, Deputy Commander of the Iranian Army Admiral Habibollah Sayyari even mentioned Ukraine in his speech:
“Today, drones are a new phenomenon. Recently, their effectiveness in crisis situations has been proven, for example, in the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Karabakh and the war between Ukraine and russia”.
The exercise involved 150 reconnaissance, surveillance, combat and strike drones. The work of “Shahed” kamikaze drones was also demonstrated.
Freeze frame from Drone Exercise 1401 video on YouTube
Although the exercise was held throughout Iran, most of the events took place in Isfahan. Photos from both Isfahan and Kashan were posted on his VKontakte page by a member of the russian UAV operators’ team.
Sergey Sozinov in the Fin garden, Kashan. Photo from his VKontakte page
This is 36-year-old Sergei Sozinov, who serves in the city of Kolomna, where the main military center of unmanned aviation of the russian federation is located. He did not want to comment on his visit to Iran and he hung up as soon as he found out the subject of the conversation.
Still, we learned that he and his family have been living in Kolomna since 2015. It was here that Sozinov renewed his passport and registered in 2021. The courier service of SDEK still delivers parcels to him at the address: “Lartsevy Poliany Str., 44, apartment 30”.
Sergey Sozinov near the Shah Mosque, Isfahan. Photo from his VKontakte page
He was born on January 4, 1986 in the village of Pasehovo, Kirov region. Sozinov is an athletic man. On his page in the social network there are many photos from marathons and competitions. There are two e-mail addresses linked to Sergei’s phone. One of them, nachfiz202@mail.ru, served as a prompt for the user’s former address, Naro-Fominsk near Moscow, where the 4th Guards Kantemirovka Division is stationed.
It’s likely that in his day Sozinov was in charge of physical training there, and the soldiers of the Kantemirovka Division are regular participants of the Army Games, in particular the “tank biathlon”. The division’s training ground in the village of Holovenky is a training ground for teams of all military formations. In VKontakte, Sozinov and his wife Marina have a lot of photos from the tank fun.
Serhii Sozinov at the tank biathlon. Alabino training ground, 2015. Photo from his VKontakte page
Kolomna flying
According to the regulations of the “Falcon Hunting” competition, the team of each country consists of no more than 13 people. We managed to identify four of the Russian representatives who came to the competition in Iran. All of them, like Sergei Sozinov, are from Kolomna and are servicemen of the 924th State Center for Unmanned Aviation of the russian ministry of defense.
The center is the main “forge” of drone operators for the russian army. Not only does it train specialists “to service UAV complexes of both home-grown and foreign technology and operate them”, but also tests all types of drones before they are put into service with the russian army:
“If necessary, the center’s specialists, together with industrial enterprises, modify the UAV complexes undergoing testing,” adds the ministry of defense of the aggressor country.
UAV operators (right to left): Sozinov, Pivkin, Glukhov. Iran, 2022 Photo from the website of the Ministry of Defense of the russian federation
It was on the basis of the 924th Center that the final qualifying stage of the “Falcon Hunting” in russia was held in previous years. Its winners represented the country in the international arena. Servicemen of the Kolomna center also participated in the qualifying stages, but as judges. This year, the selections were also held, but unlike previous years, the Ministry of Defense of the russian federation never announced the winners.
“His mother’s pride!”
Andrei Stepovoi on the left. Freeze frame from the video by russian Ministry of Defense
A freeze frame from the video of the competition in Iran shows a captain of the russian Air Force Andrei Stepovoi. He is 31 years old, born on September 25, 1991 in the village of Novotroitske, Voronezh Oblast. Since early childhood, Stepovoi dreamed of a career as a military pilot, just like his mother.
“This is my future senior lieutenant!”, his mother Natalia signed his childhood photo in VKontakte.
Andrei Stepovoi. Photo from his mother’s VKontakte page
Stepovoi started pursuing his dream at the Voronezh Air Force Academy, which trains engineering officers for aviation of all types and branches of the armed forces. He graduated in 2014. A photo report from Andrei’s graduation is available on VKontakte page of his friend Aleksandr who came with his wife to support his comrade.
“It felt like I was at home,” – the graduate rejoiced under one of the photos.
By the way, UAV operator’s ID in VKontakte is “andros_009” and he is hiding behind a surname Ivanov.
Andrei Stepovoi with his friends. Voronezh, 2014. Photo from his friend’s VKontakte page
Since 2018, the close-knit Stepovois family of has been regularly visiting their son and brother in Kolomna. Andrei’s mother willingly shares photos of their trips in her VKontakte profile.
“His mother’s pride!” Andrei’s aunt Liudmila commented on the photo.
Andrei Stepovoi with his parents. Kolomna, 2019. Photo from his mother’s VKontakte page
While living in Kolomna, Stepovoy bought a car and the documents indicate the address of the 924th Center as his place of residence – Artillerists’ passage, 5.
“An expert in side jumps!”
Gleb Pivkin on the left. Freeze frame from the video of the russian ministry of defense
Another member of the russian UAV crew received Russian citizenship only in 2009. Gleb Pivkin was born on November 1, 1995 in Turkmenistan, but in 2007 the Pivkin family moved to Russia and settled in Kolomna.
Gleb Pivkin, 2012. Photo from his mother’s VKontakte page
There was no indication that Gleb would commit himself to the army. As a teenager, he played the guitar and was fond of parkour. “My son is an expert in side jumps!”, his father commented on his Odnoklassniki page.
Pivkin met his future wife Alyona at school. After the school graduation they went to conquer Riazan together. They studied at the Agrotechnological University, which trains specialists in the agricultural industry. We wanted to find out what brought agronomist Pivkin to the 924th Center of Unmanned Aviation, but he did not answer any of his phones.
Gleb and Alyona Pivkins. Photo from his VKontakte page
By the way, back in 2012, Gleb’s mother Marina and sister Ekaterina were on vacation in the Ukrainian capital. Marina generously boasted of Kyiv landscapes on her page in the social network, where she even created a special album “Walks in Kyiv”.
Ekaterina Pivkina in Kyiv. Photo from his mother’s VKontakte page
Cryptocurrency and wife from Sumy
“What Iran? This is the first time I’ve heard about any “Shaheds”! I work in cryptocurrency. I am not liable for military service, I do not serve and I am not affiliated with any military organization”, – Lieutenant of the Air Force Yevgeniy Glukhov tried to our journalist during the phone conversation.
But it is definitely him on the video from Iran.
Evgenii Glukhov. Freeze frame from the video of the russian ministry of defense
25-year-old Yevgeniy Glukhov was born on January 18, 1997 in Volgograd. It is not clear what happened to Yevgeniy’s parents, but in 2011 his uncle’s family living in Moscow took him and his brother Sergei in. The boys’ uncle, Nikolai Fedotov, is a strict and serious man. He is a lieutenant colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and there’s a whole lot of chest candy that he’s boasting.
Nikolai Fedotov with his granddaughter. Photo from his Odnoklassniki page
Fedotov sent both his nephews along the familiar military path. The elder Sergei settled in the rosgvardia, and since his 9th grade Evgeniy attended the Cadet Boarding School with initial flight training located back then in the village of Monino near Moscow. Here, in addition to the school curriculum, the cadets studied special disciplines, trained on flight simulators and underwent flight practice in Serpukhov near Moscow.
In 2015, during his graduation, Evgeniy already had badges of a 3rd class paratrooper and for piloting, which means that he had logged about 15 hours.
Evgenii Glukhov. Monino, 2015. Photo from his uncle’s Odnoklassniki page
Straight after graduating from the boarding school, Glukhov entered the Air Force Academy in Voronezh, which also had his colleague, Andrei Stepovoi, among its graduates.
“I keep serving Russia”, – that’s how uncle Nikolai signed a photo with the new-made cadet on his Odnoklassniki page.
Evgenii Glukhov. Voronezh, 2015. Photo from his uncle’s Odnoklassniki page
Glukhov got married in January this year. The girl of his choice was Maria Serebrova from Sumy. In one of her numerous VKontakte accounts, the Ukrainian wife of the russian military is even using a nickname “Sumskaya”. According to Maria, she studied to be a gynaecologist at the Medical Institute of Sumy State University, but her medical career did not work out, so in 2018 she graduated from the Russian State Institute of Cinematography with a degree in acting. After the wedding, Maria is waiting in Kolomna for her husband’s return from his Iranian and probably Ukrainian business trip.
Evgenii Glukhov with his wife Mariya, 2022. Photo from his cousin’s Odnoklassniki page
However, the “cryptocurrency business” was not as successful as Glukhov’s military career. According to the Federal Bailiff Service, he has a considerable outstanding utility bills for his Volgograd apartment. Two years ago it amounted to 70 thousand rubles (about 20 thousand UAH). According to the fiscal authorities, the actual place of residence of the debtor is the 924th Center.
The competition “Falcon Hunting”, in which the russian-Iranian friendship was victorious, ended on August 27. Just two weeks after the competition was over, russia attacked Ukraine with Shahed suicide drones for the first time.
The material was prepared with the support from Internews Network. The material reflects the editorial team’s views and does not necessarily reflect the official views of Internews Network.