Whether War Or Business, It’s ‘Just A Job,’ Says Ukrainian Entrepreneur-Turned-Soldier

Before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Ukrainian businessman Illya Lif flew model planes as a hobby and ran a successful coffeehouse chain. These days, he runs a military drone unit for the Ukrainian Army in the Donetsk region. The man, now using the call sign “Izya,” says he has no regrets about leaving his profits and yacht behind to join the fight.