- Kyle Chua
Viral Video Appears To Show How Ukrainians Are Weaponising Drones Against Russian Forces
Consumer gadgets are seemingly playing a role in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
A viral video that has made the rounds online appears to show Ukrainian troops using a DJI drone to watch airstrikes on Russian forces in real-time. The soldier is seen holding a controller-like device equipped with the screen to monitor the attack.
According to Insider, the video was first shared by a Ukrainian Telegram account before it later found its way to social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok. The video was accompanied by a caption that references how the drone operator supposedly liked his work. No other relevant information was provided, including the location of the strike or who the soldiers in the video are.
The Shenzhen-based DJI, one of the leading makers of consumer drones and video equipment in the world, in April announced it would suspend business operations in Russia and Ukraine to prevent its products from being weaponised in the war.
"DJI abhors any use of our drones to cause harm, and we are temporarily suspending sales in these countries in order to help ensure no one uses our drones in combat," said a spokesperson of the company.
Going by the video, however, it seems some Ukrainian forces still managed to get their hands on DJI products. As to how, there’s no way to tell without having more context on the video. Footage of Russian forces using the DJI drones also surfaced prior to the company halting sales a couple of months ago. The company previously noted that it didn’t have control over how its products were used
The soldiers in the video aren’t the only Ukrainians who used consumer drones to help the war effort. Metro reports a 15-year old schoolboy, who flew drones as a hobby, shared his skills with the Ukrainian army early into Russia's invasion. Andrii Pokrasa, the so-called “hero of Ukraine”, used his store-bought drone to pinpoint the coordinates of Russian tanks and help hold them off from entering key areas.
A viral video that has made the rounds online appears to show Ukrainian troops using a DJI drone to watch airstrikes on Russian forces in real-time.
It was reportedly first shared by a Ukrainian Telegram account before later finding its way to social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok.
DJI has already suspended the sales of its products in Ukraine and Russia to prevent them from being weaponised. The company noted how its drones aren't designed to cause harm.