A new Ukrainian war film based on a remarkable real-life rescue of a couple saved by drone operators has been compared to Saving Private Ryan. The action thriller named Killhouse draws inspiration from real events in which a couple attempting to rescue relatives came under Russian attack. The man was wounded, prompting a nearby Ukrainian unit to deploy a drone carrying a handwritten message reading: 'Follow me.' The woman obeyed, navigating mines and gunfire as Russian soldiers threw her unconscious husband into a trench. Against the odds, he survived.
Director's Inspiration
Speaking to the Guardian, Director Liubomyr Levytskyi said the story immediately stood out, despite his familiarity with wartime accounts. 'A friend of mine, a journalist, rang me and said: "Liubomyr, I've got this story – it'll give you goosebumps."' He added: 'I was like: "Well, of course it will. I've seen so many of these stories already." It's very hard to impress me with a story. Then I saw footage from the rescue operation. I couldn't believe my eyes that this is real.' Levytskyi first turned the story into a documentary titled Follow Me, before expanding it into a full-length feature filmed last year in the Kyiv region.
Production and Support
Although rooted in reality, the two-and-a-half-hour film incorporates fictional elements, including a kidnapped 12-year-old girl and scenes set in locations ranging from the White House situation room to occupied eastern Ukraine. The production involved support from Ukraine's intelligence agencies, including the Security Service of Ukraine and the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, which provided military equipment such as Humvee and MaxxPro vehicles and a Black Hawk helicopter. The film also showcases Ukraine's domestically produced drones, including the Shark reconnaissance model. According to its creators, Killhouse is the first feature film to incorporate footage captured by real combat drones.
Cast and Realities of War
The film features appearances from well-known Ukrainian figures, including former military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. It is set in 2024, during a period when Washington and Kyiv are portrayed as allies, with Donald Trump notably absent from the storyline. During filming, production was frequently interrupted by the realities of war, the cast revealed. US journalist Audrey MacAlpine, who appears as herself, said: 'There were air raid alerts. We had to hide. It was a war within a war.' Actor Denis Kapustin described how cast members sometimes slept in bomb shelters between scenes, adding: 'The movie is totally meta and postmodern.' Kapustin said the film reflects the evolving nature of modern warfare, adding: 'It's a race for technological superiority.' After filming, he joined the real-life 3rd Assault Brigade, part of Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps, and now works as a drone operator.
Audience Reception
Ukrainian audiences have responded positively to the film, with Mariia Hlazunova of the Dovzhenko Centre, Ukraine's film archive, saying: 'It's interesting to see people from the news such as Budanov on screen.' She added: 'It's like fiction mixed with fact. The film is super-patriotic, which is as it should be. There are a few cheesy moments. Overall it does a really good job.' Made on a budget of $1.1 million without state support, it is now being prepared for international release, including an English-language version and a possible streaming adaptation.
Context of Drone Warfare
The film's release comes as Ukraine has increasingly used unmanned drones on the battlefield, marking a rapid shift toward automated combat that reduces human casualties. Earlier this month, Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that Putin's soldiers had surrendered without any Ukrainian soldiers being put in danger, after Ukrainian forces captured a Russian position using only armed robots and drones. These unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are used on the battlefield for assault operations, to evacuate wounded troops and to detect and neutralise mines. Zelensky said over 22,000 missions have been carried out over the last three months using robot systems with more than 280 companies rapidly developing these units. 'In other words, lives were saved more than 22,000 times when a robot went into the most dangerous areas instead of a warrior. This is about high technology protecting the highest value – human life,' he added. Ukraine is aiming to produce more than 20,000 of the ground robots this year, with 99 per cent domestically made. Each robot can cost anywhere from £7,500 to £22,000, according to The Telegraph, and have a range of up to 31 miles. One robot, known as DevDroid TW 12.7, is no bigger than a ride-on lawnmower but is armed with a .50-calibre M2 Browning machine gun. It can be operated remotely from up to 15 miles away or navigate terrain using artificial intelligence.
