Ukrainian forces are deploying First-Person View (FPV) kamikaze drones, compact yet lethal unmanned

aerial vehicles, to devastating effect against Russian troops. This innovative tactic, once virtually unheard
of, is now a daily occurrence along the front, with hundreds of suicide drone missions conducted
regularly. The latest encounters have captured the attention of military experts and raised concerns
among global leaders. In a recent incident, a lone Russian soldier found himself in a perilous situation as
a kamikaze drone, no larger than a football but packed with explosive power, closed in on him.

The relentless pursuit, documented by another UAV operated remotely by a Ukrainian soldier,
highlighted the deadly efficiency and precision of this emerging technology. "The little thing we see on
the battlefield in Ukraine is in the foothill of where this technology can go, which is a very worrying place
... It could become a new weapon of mass destruction," General Sir Richard Barrons told MailOnline,
expressing the growing unease among military leaders about the potential consequences of this evolving
technology.

The "Wild Division" of the 2nd Air Assault Brigade has become synonymous with the successful
deployment of FPV drones. These unmanned attackers, costing a mere £300 each, exhibit remarkable
versatility, infiltrating bunkers, crashing through windows, and relentlessly pursuing individual Russian
soldiers mockingly referred to as "Orcs." Major General Charlie Herbert underscored the psychological
impact of this new form of warfare: "I have been under shell fire, rocket fire, and mortar fire in my
military career – they're all frightening and relatively indiscriminate.

"But when you have drones buzzing above your head, it's more personal. This adds an extra level to the
psychological torture. It's completely terrifying." Efforts to counter the threat are underway, with various
military initiatives exploring electronic jammers, disruption guns, and net-slinging drone interceptors.
However, concerns persist about a potential arms race, leading to the development of AI-powered drone
swarms capable of autonomous operation, presenting a formidable challenge for existing defenses.

As the conflict in Ukraine persists, both sides increasingly rely on FPVs not only to target high-value
assets like tanks but also to harass individual soldiers during rearmament. President Volodymyr Zelensky
has expressed his determination to significantly boost drone production, unveiling a "People's Drone"
project that encourages Ukrainians to assemble their own kamikaze drones for military use. The FPV
kamikaze drone, though not a revolutionary game-changer, undeniably contributes to the evolving
violence and psychological impact of modern conflict in Ukraine.

Meanwhiles, Russia has lost more tanks on the battlefield in Ukraine than it had operational when
Moscow's forces crossed over to start the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to a
leading think tank. Russia has lost approximately 1,120 tanks in the past year in the grueling war in
Ukraine, Bastian Giegerich, director-general of the London-based International Institute for Strategic
Studies (IISS), told the media on Tuesday. Moscow has lost roughly 2,000 armored personnel carriers and
infantry fighting vehicles in the last 12 months, he added.

"Tank losses since the full-scale invasion began now likely top 3,000," Giegerich said. "To put that in
perspective, Russia's battlefield tank losses are greater than the number it had when it launched its
offensive in 2022." But Moscow is likely to be able to sustain its tank fleet with lower-quality vehicles for
several years, the think tank evaluated. Unveiling its annual "Military Balance" report, considered an
authoritative count of the world's armed forces, the think tank said Russia now has approximately 1,750
operational main battle tanks of various models, from the now-aged T-55s to modern T-90s. It has
several thousand more in storage.

With the second anniversary of the two years of all-out war approaching next week, the months of
attritional conflict has taken a heavy toll on both Russia's and Ukraine's ground forces. The figures from
the IISS are the latest indicator of the impact of the invasion effort on Russia's armed forces as it plugs
away with offensives at several points along the front line. In February 2023, the IISS assessed that
Russia had lost up to half of its key combat tanks in the first year of the expanded war. In late January,
James Heappey, Britain's armed forces minister, told U.K. lawmakers that London estimated total Russian
tank losses to be more than 2,600, with approximately 4,900 armored vehicles destroyed.