WATCH near-hit by drone targeting Russian tank

A video released by the Russian Defense Ministry shows the dramatic moment when a presumed Ukrainian kamikaze drone failed to strike an advancing Russian tank, instead blowing up meters in front of it.

The near-hit was filmed from a Russian drone, as well as by a camera mounted on the tank’s turret next to its main gun. The armored vehicle plowed right through an avalanche of soil and vegetation that the blast threw from the ground.

The footage was published on Tuesday and showcased operations of the ‘Center’ grouping of Russian forces involved in hostilities with the Ukrainian army. The T-72B3M vehicle was providing support for an assault on Ukrainian positions near the city of Avdeevka in Donetsk People’s Republic, the ministry said.

The tank fired at its target from a range of about 800 meters “under constant mortar fire and FPV-drone attacks of the Ukrainian armed forces,” the description said.

First-person view drones have become a staple weapon in the Ukraine conflict. The pilot of the aircraft wears special glasses showing a video feed from an on-board camera, which allows more precise remote control.

A skilled operator can target small vulnerable points, where the relatively small explosive charge carried by the drone can cause damage to an otherwise highly-protected vehicle, potentially disabling it so that a kill strike with a heavier weapon can be delivered later.

Both sides in the conflict are extensively using such weapons, but Russia has an advantage in terms of the number of drones supplied to the frontline, according to media reports. It also has at its disposal heavier winged Lancet loitering munitions, which have reportedly become a scourge for Ukrainian military hardware.