Russian kamikaze drone hunts down Stryker infantry carrier (MOD VIDEO)

A Russian first-person view (FPV) drone has successfully intercepted and destroyed a US-provided Stryker armored vehicle while it was on the move, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Monday.

The military shared footage of the engagement, saying it took place in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, but declining to pinpoint the exact location. A Russian reconnaissance team launched the kamikaze UAV after the enemy vehicle was spotted from the air moving down the road, the ministry said. FPV drones are typically small quadcopter devices with a relatively short range and limited endurance.

The clip was filmed from the drone itself, as it chased the armored vehicle and dove at its relatively vulnerable top hatch. The ministry said the strike was sufficient to destroy the Stryker, as confirmed by air surveillance, but did not share images filmed by the other aircraft.

The US had sent roughly 400 of the 18-ton, 8-wheeled, 11-person personnel carriers to Kiev to support its war effort against Russia, according to public disclosures.

Among other purposes, the Ukrainian army has used Strykers in the ongoing incursion into Kursk Region, which it launched in August while quickly losing territory along other parts of the frontline. The goal of the operation had been to distract Russian forces and seize some territory as a bargaining chip for future peace talks, according to Ukrainian officials.

The operation makes no military sense, Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week during his annual marathon Q&A session. Nevertheless, Kiev clings on to the Russian land, “throwing its best assault groups and units into the slaughter there,” he added.