Interesting video shows a Russian FPV loitering munition, adorned with dinner table eating utensils, flying into a Ukrainian communications tower on an island off Mykolaiv, in southern Ukraine.

One may wonder if the silverware are there as a method of trolling or some sort of inside joke that we are not in on. However, the forks are there most likely as a pressure switch that detonates the device when the two metal utensils touch, completing the circuit to their onboard power source, which is probably a AA battery pack.

Another interesting thing to note, is the location of the strike; Pervomays'kyy Island, which sits in the Dnieper-Bug Estuary, right between Russian and Ukrainian-controlled territories. The island was actually host to US Navy SEALs in 2021, as they conducted interoperability amphibious assault training with Ukrainian counterparts.

The purpose of the targeted Ukrainian tower isn't clear. It may have been a listening device, intercepting Russian transmissions. It may have served as a repeater or an electronic observation post for Ukraine. It may even have played a role in controlling Ukraine's fleet of unmanned surface vessels that continue to target Russia's Black Sea Fleet. It's also not clear how the destruction of the tower will degrade local operations for Ukrainian forces.

About the Author

Will Killmore

Will Killmore is a US Army combat infantry veteran and Purple Heart recipient. He has deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 172nd Stryker Brigade and 173rd Airborne Brigade. Following his time in service, he successfully pursued a certificate of journalism and has been a blogger for Funker530 since 2014. Follow Will’s bad takes on Twitter