Image of a Ukranian teen and a drone

A Bright Idea
Igor, 17, created a lifesaving drone.

Illustration by Randy Pollak; GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images (Kyiv); Aleksandr Shulman/AP Images (Tanks); Jeff McIntosh/AP Images (Igor Klymenko); Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images (Soldier); Courtesy Chegg.org (Drone)

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R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.7, W.3, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Finding Hope in a War Zone

How a teen from Ukraine is working to save lives in his home countryand beyond 

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    Igor Klymenko, 17, and his family huddled together. They were in their dark basement. The sounds of explosions tore through the night.

    It was February 24, 2022. That morning, Russia had attacked Ukraine. Bombs had rained down on cities and towns. Missiles had hit military bases. Millions of Ukrainians had run for their lives

    Igor, his younger sister, and his parents had quickly grabbed whatever they could carry. Then they escaped their apartment in Kyiv, the capital city. The family headed to their country house in Vasylkiv. That’s a town about 23 miles away. The home had a basement that could serve as a bomb shelter.  

    Once there, Igor’s family still wasn’t sure they would be safe. No one slept that night. Bombs fell nearby, making the house shake.

    All they could do was hope that they would survive until morning.

The War Begins

    In many ways, Igor was a typical teenager. He loved playing the guitar, hanging out with his friends, and learning about robotics. But after Russia attacked Ukraine, Igor’s busy life came to a sudden stop. His country turned into a war zone

    During the first days of fighting, Igor worried about his safety. He wondered if he would ever see his friends again. Once in a while, Igor’s father would make a quick trip to town for food and supplies. Other than that, Igor’s family stayed mostly inside for over a month.

    Igor felt helpless. He started to wonder: Was there anything he could do to make a difference in this war? Then he remembered a robotics project he was working on before the war. It was a drone designed to detect land mines

Image of destroyed buildings in Ukraine

Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images 

Under Attack
This photo shows the destruction in Kyiv, Ukraine. Since the war began, more than 14 million people have left their homes to escape the violence.

Tools of War

    A land mine is an explosive weapon that is placed on or buried in the ground. Land mines explode when stepped on or driven over. They’re often planted in wooded or grassy areas. This makes it hard to spot them until it’s too late.

    Land mines kill and injure thousands of people around the world each year. And they aren’t just a problem during wars. Land mines left from past wars hurt people too.

    In March 2023 alone, Russian land mines killed 226 civilians in Ukraine. The Ukrainian military is working to clear the mines. Special soldiers called sappers must walk through fields looking for them. It is dangerous work that takes a long time.

    Igor hoped his drone could help change this

Image of a crowded train station

Mohammad Javad Abjoushak/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Getting Out 
People wait for a train to leave Kyiv after Russia invaded Ukraine.

A Lifesaving Drone 

Image of a drone

Courtesy Chegg.org

    Igor first learned about land mines in fifth grade. He wondered if robotics could help solve the problem. Then one day, he and his cousin were playing around with a drone

    Igor had an idea. What if he created a drone that could detect land mines from the sky? That way, no one would have to risk their life searching by foot

    Igor didn’t act on his idea for a while. But in 10th grade, he told his science teacher about it. The teacher, Oleh Kozlenko, offered to help

    Igor spent much of his free time working on the drone. About a year and a half later, he finally had a prototype. He and Kozlenko began testing it.

    Then Russia attacked

Image of military personnel in a field

FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images 

The Problem  
Russia has placed land mines all over Ukraine. Soldiers called sappers (above) find the mines and clear them.

No Time to Wait

    When the war started, it seemed Igor’s work would have to stop. Igor had left Kyiv. His teacher had joined the military. But by August 2022, both of them were able to return to Kyiv for short periods of time. They met up to continue testing the drone.

    The drone still wasn’t finished. But Igor began to think about how to get the word out. The drone would be useful only if he could get it into the military’s hands

    So Igor entered contests to bring more attention to the drone. One was called the Chegg.org Global Student Prize. The winner would get $100,000. “I thought it was impossible,” says Igor. “What was the chance that I’d win over 7,000 other students?” 

    But Igor did win. His drone made the news all over the world. Finally, the word was out about how it could help Ukraine. “I was crying,” he says. “The last time I cried, it was at the beginning of the war. Now I was crying for a second timethis time from happiness.” 

Looking to the Future 

    Since winning the contest, Igor has been in touch with Ukraine’s military. The next step is to test the drone with real land mines.  

    Today Igor is just beginning his second year of college in Canada. He is studying to become a scientist. He dreams of the day when he is back in Ukraine with his family

    In his dream, they aren’t stuck in the basement listening to bombs.

    They’re outside, listening to the buzz of insects and the wind in the trees

    The sounds of peace.

Image of a Ukranian teen building a device

Courtesy Igor Klymenko

The Solution  
Igor built a drone that uses a metal detector to find land mines from the sky. If it works, sappers won’t have to risk their lives searching by foot.

ACTIVITY
Finding Text Evidence

Headshot

Courtesy Chegg.org

Proud  
Igor holds the Global Student Prize in New York City. He went there to present his drone to scientists and leaders.

You’ve just readFinding Hope in a War Zone.” Now do this activity to help you better understand the article.

Tip: Text evidence means details in a story that support an answer or show that it is true.

What to do: Use text evidenceor details from the articleto answer the questions below. We did the first one for you.

number one

Why did Igor’s family go to their country house when Russia attacked Ukraine?

HINT: Look for the answer in the opening section.

AnswerThe family’s country house had a basement that could be used as a bomb shelter.

number two

In March 2023, how many civilians in Ukraine were killed by Russian land mines

HINT: Look for the answer in the sectionTools of War.”

number three

What forced Igor to stop working on his drone for a while

HINT: Look for the answer in the sectionNo Time to Wait.”

number four

Since the war started, how many people have left their homes to escape the violence?

HINT: Look for the answer in the photo captionUnder Attack.”

Think About It! What do these answers tell you about the war in Ukraine?

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