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These small sports drones are a mortal danger to Russian tank crews and ground forces. Ukrainian units are increasingly transporting explosive charges and directing them towards enemy targets.
The soldiers also use virtual reality glasses. The drone's camera image is transmitted in real time. The soldiers navigate the explosive-equipped drone to the target and then trigger an explosion. The drones are very manoeuvrable and can reach speeds of up to 140 kilometres per hour.
Ukrainian soldier:
"We destroyed the enemy's tanks, heavy military equipment and personnel. It's a very effective device."
Compared to conventional weapons, the drone is also cheap.
Ukrainian soldier:
"It's better to use technical means instead of people. For this reason, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are very rapidly developing in this direction. There is a lot of training, courses, and investments to provide the resources. This makes perfect sense. No flying drone is worth a human life."
The Ukrainian army wants to further expand its drone program for both reconnaissance and attack and has therefore – like Russia – invested massively in drone technology. Soldiers in trenches must expect to be spotted and attacked from the air at any time. This video from last week is said to show a Russian soldier surrendering in front of a Ukrainian drone. The use of commercially available quadrocopters by the Ukrainian army has been known for some time. Kiev launched a campaign in December for Russian soldiers on the front line who want to surrender.