Reconnaissance and FPV drone footage recorded by Russian forces shows an FPV drone attack against a patrolling squad of Ukrainian troops who are exposed in the open. The release authority for the footage stated that the patrol was destroyed by this attack, however we find that very unlikely.

Here's the thing, if the patrol had even taken casualties, the title of this video would include NSFW, and a proper battle damage assessment, or BDA, from Russian forces. We know for a certainty that the Russians are conducting these BDAs, because almost every attack they conduct is accompanied by a second view of the strike recorded by a reconnaissance drone that helped them find the target, and they even use some of that footage to make the attacks more compelling.

The tell here is that we don't see a BDA at all in this video. As soon as the drone feed cuts off, the end-title promoting their unit Telegram channel pops back onto the screen without any indication of success. The second thing here is that we know from GoPro footage of these attacks that the Ukrainians react very quickly with immediate action drills when an incoming FPV drone is heard, which is likely what happened here.

About the Author

Josh Brooks

Josh is an American writer and former USMC machine gunner with eight years of experience in ground combat arms throughout the GWOT. He is currently based in Texas and specializes in combat footage analysis and digital marketing.Follow Josh at OfficialJoshBrooks.com