WATCH: Like a Hollywood Thriller – Ukrainian Drone Hunts Russians Inside Building

A video from Russia’s propaganda outlet RT has been posted on social media. Assuming that the event wasn’t staged for the channel’s Russian audience, it shows one of their [unnamed] “war correspondents” filming himself as he hides from what is said to be a Ukrainian small, weaponized first-person view (FPV) drone.

The wasp-like buzzing of the drone – apparently seeking a target – can be heard as it approaches then enters the building where he is hiding.

After about 45 seconds, the small drone enters the building flying close to the floor and navigating around steel vertical supports and other obstacles.

As the drone comes into view, the journalist is heard to exclaim in Russian “Turn on EW [electronic warfare jammer] it’s in the factory.”

He then whispers to himself: “Bitch,” as the noise of the drone draws closer.

Another voice is then calling out over a radio someone’s name: “Topol, Topol.”

Shortly afterwards the drone explodes in the room next to where the journalist is standing, close enough to cause the camera to shake and the man, who is apparently unharmed, exclaims, “Phew.”

Social media is full of videos showing vehicles and troops being hunted down by FPV drones in the open, either filmed through the aircraft’s own camera or by another drone flying alongside.

Cheap, readily available FPV kamikaze drones are everywhere on the Ukrainian battlefield operated from a safe position at a distance from the target. It is unusual to see a video filmed by the target itself inside a building to be posted. It gave an “inside” take on the capability of FPVs to carry out surveillance, reconnaissance and attack targets wherever they are found.

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If this information is confirmed, it would be the first time such a weapon had been used since Russia invaded in February 2022.

The military issues website The War Zone (TWZ) posted a video, captured on a CCTV camera in February 2023, of an FPV drone, allegedly being used by Israeli forces. It is seen flying along a city street in the West Bank, then approaching a building, hovering outside for a few seconds before flying inside and after a pause there is an explosion.

TWZ commented that it wasn’t clear if the drone had been a kamikaze weapon or whether something or someone inside the building had set off an explosive device or the drone had hit a booby trap inside the building.

Either way these two videos show how useful drones can be in support of urban combat operations. Fighting in built-up areas (FIBUA), which is increasingly likely in 21st century warfare, as Ukraine has shown, results in high levels of casualties.

Rather than employing the Russian tactic of attempting to flatten a town or city as they did in Bakhmut, small, maneuverable drones like Norway’s Black Hornet Nano can carry out reconnaissance to enhance and safeguard troops navigating their way through built up areas, either individually or in swarms.

They in turn could be accompanied by swarms of weaponized drones capable of remotely attacking vehicles, weapons, personnel, booby traps and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) ahead of advancing troops achieving as much if not more than Moscow’s scorched earth tactics.