A Russian fighter hurled a sack of potatoes at an attack drone to save his life, according to reports.
Astonishing footage shows how the mercenary saw the Ukrainian UAV coming to kill him on the battlefield.
He threw the nearest thing to hand – the potatoes, part of his frontline foot rations – causing the FPV drone to explode in a bright red flash close to him.
There were more cascading explosions but he avoided the direct hit.
The uniformed fighter is seen running away to take cover in nearby trees after the explosion amid thick white smoke.
Reports say the man – named as Private Khamatov – suffered ‘minor injuries’.
He is a native of Uzbekistan who signed up to fight for Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, say Telegram channels.
Kremlin propaganda outlet Readovka praised his lack of fear as the drone – loaded with explosives – buzzed him.
It said he ‘masterfully downed it – hitting it with a sack of potatoes’.
It comes after the revelation that Russian soldiers returning from war have killed and wounded more than 200 people.
The killings were mostly carried out by soldiers who were formerly prison inmates, but were freed in order to bolster numbers on the front line in Ukraine.
But some deaths were the result of men taking the savagery of war back with them into civilian life.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
