This is the moment Russian troops send a drone into the sky to carry out reconnaissance of hidden Ukrainian targets before launching a deadly strike.
The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said soldiers carry out round-the-clock reconnaissance of enemy targets before passing on the information to artillery units.
The Ministry said in a statement on June 10: “As part of the current special operation in Ukraine, unmanned systems are effectively solving all their tasks. They face various obstacles from the enemy, but this does not affect their overall results.
“UAV crews carry out round-the-clock search and reconnaissance of targets before sending the target designations to the artillery units.
“During the battle, drone crews carry out adjustments to artillery fire, conduct the video recording of damage to enemy objects and equipment.”
The Russian MoD added: “The drones also carry out reconnaissance of the actions of the retreating units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
We contacted Russian and Ukrainian officials for comment but had not received a reply at the time of writing.
Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation.” June 10 marks the 107th day of the campaign.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and June 10, Russia had lost 31,900 personnel, 1,409 tanks, 3,450 armored fighting vehicles, 712 artillery pieces, 222 multiple launch rocket systems, 97 anti-aircraft systems, 212 warplanes, 178 helicopters, 2,438 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, 13 warships, 572 tactical drones, 54 pieces of special equipment and 125 cruise missiles.
Over 1,000 Ukrainian troops captured in Mariupol have been transferred to Russia, according to Russian media. Ukrainian officials estimate that at least 21,000 civilians have been killed in the city.
Two British men, Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, have been sentenced to death by a court in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine after being captured while fighting with the Ukrainian army in Mariupol against Russian troops.
An aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine is losing up to 200 troops a day.
The United Kingdom and the United States are sending long-range missile systems to Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of more attacks in Ukraine if the West sends long-range weapons.
President Putin has said that the West will not be able to wean itself off from Russian oil and gas for years. US officials have now also admitted that Russian profits on energy might even be higher than they were before the war started.
President Zelenskyy has said that Russian attacks on the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk have turned them into “dead cities.” But he added that Ukrainian forces could still hold Severodonetsk despite being outnumbered.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, walked out of a Security Council meeting this week after his country was blamed by European Council president Charles Michel for triggering a global food crisis.
President Zelenskyy has requested that a corridor be set up so that the country may export grain currently stuck in Ukrainian ports.
The European Parliament adopted a resolution this week recommending that the European Union grant Ukraine the status of candidate country for EU membership. There were 438 Members of the European Parliament who voted in favor of the resolution, with 65 voting against and 94 abstaining.
