New footage circulating online shows Russian FPV operators carefully identifying their targets
Russian FPV drone operators are carefully identifying their potential targets to make sure they do not hit civilians trapped in the combat zone of the Ukraine conflict, a new video that emerged online on Thursday shows.
Footage shot at an undisclosed location showcases multiple instances of Russian servicemen piloting fiber optic-guided FPV drones aborting their attacks after confirming the vehicle they spotted was carrying civilians.
Unmarked civilian vehicles are commonly used in the combat zone by soldiers for redeployment and logistics. The abundance of civilian cars partially stems from heavy losses in military transport and partially from attempts to conceal the movement of troops.
One of the episodes featured in the video shows the drone chasing a heavily loaded white car speeding along a road. Upon approaching it, the operator apparently realizes the car is carrying civilians, who were likely trying to escape the warzone with their belongings, and turns away from the vehicle.
Another car, carrying at least three civilians, stops when its driver spots the drone, the video shows. The UAV approaches the vehicle as the occupants apparently get ready to bail out of it. The operator tilts the drone in greeting, and the driver waves at it before driving off.
Fiber optic cable-guided drones provide exceptional image quality, allowing their operators to carefully examine targets before making a decision to strike. Unlike their radio-controlled counterparts, which are susceptible to electronic warfare jamming, interference, and signal loss during final approach, such drones enable their operators to abort the attack at any moment before hitting their targets.
Cable-guided drones are also frequently used in ambushes, as they are capable of idling for hours on the ground without draining their batteries or losing control.
Ukrainian drone operators have routinely struck civilian cars in Russian border regions and near the front line. Such strikes appear to be an organized effort rather than isolated incidents, as Kiev’s forces have repeatedly targeted ambulances and other distinctively marked emergency vehicles, as well as civilian transport.
