This is the jaw-dropping moment Ukrainian troops used drones to take out two Russian soldiers riding on a jet ski.
Incredible footage has captured a pair of Vladimir Putin’s men being hunted down and eliminated in a pinpoint strike by a first-person view (FPV) drone on the Dnipro River.
It shows the invading soldiers speeding across the water as a 10-inch Shuriken 10 FPV drone chases after them, but it is most likely not heard by the soldiers over the sound of the jet ski engine.
When the drone smashes into the back of the jet ski it explodes into a fireball.
Another camera angle shows the flash of light on the river as the men and jet ski suddenly stop moving and sink.
Incredible footage has captured a pair of Vladimir Putin ‘s men being hunted down and eliminated in a pinpoint strike by a first-person view (FPV) drone on the Dnipro River
The video shows the invading soldiers speeding across the water as a 10-inch Shuriken 10 FPV drone chases after them, but it is most likely not heard by the soldiers over the sound of the jet ski engine
When the drone smashes into the back of the jet ski it explodes into a fireball
One of the soldiers was reportedly killed in the explosion, with the other swimming away.
But a second drone was sent after him, finding him and exploding above him as he was swimming, with sparks seen flying into the air like a firework.
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The use of jet skis, similar to motorcycles, is designed to increase speed and maneuverability when travelling on the river to minimise the time spent out in the open.
The Dnipro River and its channels are extremely dangerous to travel along due to constant monitoring by reconnaissance drones, as well as the presence of attack drones and river mines.
The Russians are also trying to minimise river operations as much as possible by shifting some of the logistics to large agricultural drones that deliver food and ammunition, with some of them carrying up to 40 kilograms over a distance of nine miles.
The stunning skill of the Ukrainian drone pilots is the latest example of the nation using the technology to defend itself since Putin first invaded in February 2022.
Soldiers of the Armed Forces inspect the FPV drones during the handover from the volunteer organization on September 13, 2024, in Lviv, Ukraine
A Ukrainian serviceman prepares a first person view (FPV) drone for targeting Russian troops at a position near a front line on September 25, 2024
A soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine holds an FPV drone during a handover from a volunteer organization on September 13, 2024
Since early 2023, the cheap and explosive flying machines have become one of Kyiv’s biggest success stories on the war which has descended into a battle of attrition and resources.
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Unmanned weapons systems have already proved extremely effective in striking key Russian targets.
Marine drones have sunk several warships in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, and in recent months Kyiv has successfully deployed long-range drones to attack infrastructure hundreds of miles behind Russia’s border.
As the war continues to drag its heels, draining ammunition, equipment and manpower, both sides have started to turn to using the FPVs to hold it each other bay while they rearm.
Typically, the drones – which are about £300 a piece – will be used to target high-value assets like tanks and artillery system, worth millions of pounds each.
But increasingly, they are being used to hound individual soldiers on the front.
A Ukrainian military pilot of a FPV drone while he attaches an explosive to an FPV drone at the frontline near Bakhmut on October 24, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine
A Ukrainian marine attends a FPV-drone flight training on May 15, 2023
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Ukraine has been at the forefront of adopting the technology – with troops waging psychological warfare online, sharing graphic clips of the final moments of a suicide drone as they chase down motorbikes and quads; diving into a party of stretcher bearers; attacking soldiers smoking in trenches or hunting isolated troops as they run for their lives.
Although Kyiv was the first to seize the initiative in using the cheap drones, military analysts say Russia now has the upper hand, having reportedly stocked up on large numbers of the flying bots and packing them with sophisticated kit.
The effectiveness of the attack robots has left industry scrambling for ideas on how to counter them. Everything from electronic jammers and disruption guns, to rifles that fire nets have been trialed by various militaries.