WATCH Russian drone destroys US-made Ukrainian armor from inside – media
Russian troops have reportedly destroyed another US-made M1126 Stryker and its Ukrainian crew in Kursk Region, according to footage captured by an FPV drone flying inside the armored fighting vehicle.
Kiev launched an incursion into Russia's Kursk in August, deploying some of its best-equipped units. The force was contained by Russian troops, with Ukraine suffering “colossal” losses in manpower and Western-supplied weaponry, according to President Vladimir Putin.
Another US-made combat vehicle was hit near the Russian village of Daryino, approximately 4 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, according to geolocation data from the LostArmour analytical website. The video showing the successful strike was published on Tuesday by the Russian Telegram channel VremjaZOV, which covers operations of the 106th Guards Airborne Division.
A 48-second clip was captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle flying at low altitude over several destroyed houses before reaching an immobilized armored vehicle in the middle of a dirt road.
In the final seconds of the video, at least five troops can be seen inside and outside the Stryker’s rear compartment. The footage cuts off just after the kamikaze drone flies into the infantry bay, suggesting a successful hit.
The drone was controlled via fiber optic wire rather than by radio, according to the video’s caption. The extremely low altitude of the drone and the quality of the footage also indicate the use of a fiber-optic-operated FPV, which has seen increased action in the region.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry’s latest estimates, Kiev’s losses in Kursk have reached nearly 34,000 casualties, including 215 tanks, 141 infantry fighting vehicles, 116 armored personnel carriers, 294 pieces of artillery, at least 13 air defense launchers, dozens of radars, and almost 1,200 other armored vehicles.
Ukrainian officials claimed the operation was part of Vladimir Zelensky’s “victory plan,” aimed at forcing Russia to redeploy its forces from Donbas and serving as leverage in eventual peace talks. However, Moscow continued its offensive in Donbas despite these developments, reportedly gaining more ground in October than in any month this year.
