- ***WARNING: Graphic content***
Extraordinary footage shows how a Ukrainian FPV drone operator blew a Russian assault boat out of the water in the Dnipro delta.
The vessel and the seven Putin troops on board were thrown high in the air with the force of the explosion.
The assault soldiers landed in the water, and most were seen swimming towards Nestryha island in Kherson region, which Russia has been seeking to control since last year.
In scenes too graphic to show, the survivors of the boat explosion were killed by drone-dropped grenades as they scrambled onto the island.
Drone warfare has become a central part of Ukraine’s defence since Putin launched his invasion in 2022
The strike took place in the Kherson region, where Russian and Ukrainian troops continue to battle for control
A report on the ambush stated: ‘It is noted that there were several boats, on which landed more than 15 occupants….
‘The Birds of Madyar [drone unit] disrupted the operation of the Russians and eliminated at least seven Russians.
‘Note that Nestryha island is the last before the mouth of the river and actually the last island on the right bank.’
As such it is strategically important ‘as the positions on the island allow shelling the right-bank Kherson region with mortars and artillery’.
Both Ukraine and Russia have developed attack drones as military weapons as war continues to ravage Europe.
This comes as Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Moscow will retaliate with strikes on British targets if British weapons are used by Ukrainian troops to attack Putin’s territory.
Zakharova told reporters that British targets «on Ukraine’s territory and beyond its borders» could be hit in such a scenario.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova speaks during a news conference in Moscow, Russia
This stark warning comes after British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Ukraine had a right to use weapons provided by London to hit targets inside Russia.
He said: ‘Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it’s defending itself.’
Russia responded to Lord Cameron’s assertion with outrage and cited it as one of the reasons why it has opted to hold exercises this month to simulate the launch of tactical nuclear missiles.
‘This is a direct escalation of tension around the Ukrainian conflict, which would potentially pose a threat to European security,’ said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Meanwhile, British Defence Minister Grant Shapps has accused China of preparing to provide Putin’s forces with lethal aid in its ongoing war with Ukraine.
Speaking at a conference in London on Wednesday, Shapps said British defence intelligence had evidence that «lethal aid is now, or will be, flowing from China to Russia and into Ukraine, I think it is a significant development».
