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Why an Elite Russian “Rubikon” Drone Operator Defected to Ukraine
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A Russian serviceman who says he served in the elite “Rubikon” drone unit of the Russian Armed Forces has defected to Ukraine and described the structure and internal practices of the formation.
According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s intelligence-backed project “I Want to Live,” which published an interview with him on February 15, the serviceman, identified as Myroslav Simonov, voluntarily crossed into Ukrainian-held territory and surrendered.
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Simonov said he is originally from Novosibirsk and previously worked in real estate. During a trip to Moscow, he was detained by police over failure to complete compulsory service and was offered a choice between formal conscription with likely deployment to the front or paperwork that would place him closer to his father, who was serving in a logistics unit.
After signing the documents, he said he was sent to a mobilization point known as “Avangard” and then to the Pogonovo training ground in the Voronezh region, where recruits underwent several weeks of assault training before being assigned specialties.
He was deployed to a UAV unit in the Luhansk region, joining a special drone company attached to Russia’s 20th Army. According to the interview published by “I Want to Live,” he initially handled rear-area duties and received brief training on Mavic quadcopters. He described the command climate as rigid, alleging psychological pressure and threats of reassignment to assault units.
Simonov said he was later transferred to the elite “Rubikon” drone unit when part of his formation was reassigned to a newly created battalion. He and another serviceman were sent instead of more experienced operators.
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According to his account, they were taken to Naro-Fominsk near Moscow for further training. Open-source investigations cited by Ukrainian media have suggested that the “Rubikon” center operates within the Patriot exhibition complex in the Moscow region, which was later reportedly targeted by Ukrainian drones after Russian media footage revealed its location.
After an internal interview process, Simonov said he was sent to Izhevsk to train on the Supercam reconnaissance UAV. He did not pass final exams but remained in the battalion in a support role and was later deployed near Kupiansk as a technician. He described a Molniya UAV strike that allegedly hit incorrect coordinates and killed a civilian girl in Kupiansk as a turning point, saying the reaction within the unit influenced his decision to flee.
Drone operator from russia’s elite “Rubicon” division used the “I want to live line” to surrender to Ukraine.
— Rock - NAFO Raccoon (@NAFORaccoon) February 15, 2026
He explained that the main reason for his decision is how easily & normally russian command give orders to kill civilians and POW’s.
However, he only surrendered once… pic.twitter.com/ezvWGCgEBk
Simonov stated that he forged travel documents and left the front, hiding in his hometown while planning to leave for Kazakhstan. He was later detained and returned to the front as an assault soldier. According to “I Want to Live,” he then used the project’s contact channels to arrange surrender and crossed the front line under fire.
Describing the crossing, he said: “Those 10 kilometers from that position to your guys is a separate story. In short, I thought I was wounded. I had a concussion. The task was to roll back 10 kilometers through that hell. Mortars were working on me, shells were landing, FPV drones were flying. Strangely, they seemed to fly around me—as if there were ‘eyes and ears’ there as well. Explosions, shooting… An FPV crew took off to find me. And in the places where I made stops, FPVs arrived specifically from the Russian side.”
After reaching Ukrainian positions, he said he received medical assistance and later witnessed Ukrainian troops carry a captured Russian serviceman to safety rather than leaving him behind.
“When I reached the positions, they bandaged me and fully helped me. I am very grateful for that. The next day we were walking with your guys to the evacuation point. On the way, we captured a Russian serviceman together… But one of your fighters who interrogated him picked him up on his shoulders and said: ‘I will not leave him. I don’t want to be like them. I will carry him.’ And he did. That’s when I understood the difference between Russia and Ukraine.”
Speaking about his future plans, he said: “Now—to fight. To kill ‘dogs.’ I do not consider them human. I have very serious grievances against my state. They broke not only my life but the lives of many guys. To defend your home. And to hope that there will be that same resistance movement against the Russian authorities when we go back to our home.”
There has been no official confirmation from the Russian Ministry of Defense regarding his claims or his alleged service in the “Rubikon” unit. The “I Want to Live” initiative has operated since 2022, providing channels for Russian servicemen seeking voluntary surrender.
Earlier, according to the Ukrainian initiative I Want to Live on February 8, Russian forces struck one of their own soldiers with an FPV drone as he attempted to surrender near Chasiv Yar. The project said the incident reflects a broader practice discouraging among Russian forces, promoting the message that “a real hero is a dead hero.”
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