Russian soldier catches Ukrainian drone with bare hands (VIDEO)
The incident occurred in Ukraine's Kharkov Region, when a Russian position came under attack by a Ukrainian UAV. The FPV is seen approaching a dugout covered with pine branches. The drone slips in, with the Russian serviceman emerging moments later, carrying the deadly device in his hands.
The soldier proceeds to repeatedly smack the drone against a tree, destroying its rotors and immobilizing the UAV. The serviceman then throws the drone into a crater before returning to his position, footage shows.
'I understand, yes, I could have died, but it's better for me to die alone than for this drone to kill several of our guys at once,' the soldier told his comrades afterward.
Usage of assorted FPV drones has increasingly grown amid the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev, becoming one of the key inexpensive short-range tools for both sides. The drones of this type have been actively used to strike installations, armor, and entrenched positions, as well as to hunt down individual soldiers.
In recent months, fiber optics-guided FPV drones were fielded first by Moscow and then by Kiev. Such devices offer a secure alternative to conventional radio-controlled drones susceptible to interference, as well as boasting a significantly increased range.
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