By now, many will have seen the video of a Ukrainian drone dropping a small bomb through the sunscreen (!) of a car driven by Russian soldiers. Here's a short thread on how it was done (with thanks to @ian_matveev, on whose thread this is based). /1
For the attack, a modified VOG-17 grenade was used. A fin and a front part, created on a 3D printer, are added. The VOG-17 is a Soviet-era 30x120 mm fragmentation grenade with a claimed effective radius of 7m, covering an area of about 150 m². /2
It weighs about 350g (12.3oz) A hobbyist drone like a DJI Phantom 3 is easily capable of carrying one of these. As two grenades were used in this attack, it suggests that a bigger drone was used, two drones were used or the same drone was used to attack twice in succession. /3
The modifications to the grenade are simple, but as the video shows, they enable good aerodynamic performance and high accuracy. /4
The VOG-17 grenade itself contains only 36g (1.2oz) of explosive and can't seriously damage equipment. But there is a lot of such ammunition in Ukraine. It's usually fired from an AG-17 automatic grenade launcher, a Soviet equivalent of the US Mk 19. /5
Low-cost hobbyist drones armed with small modified grenades provide a cheap and effective weapon against individual soldiers. Factions in Syria and Iraq used them to some extent, but they've really come into their own in Ukraine. /6
But how do you destroy an armoured vehicle with an off-the-shelf drone? Ukraine appears to have been using a few different approaches. One of the most effective has been to repurpose the RKG-3, an old Soviet-era type of anti-tank grenade dating to 1950. /7
In 2020, Ukraine's PJSC Mayak Plant demonstrated a drone bomb conversion for the RKG-3 - attaching 3D-printed fins to convert it into the RKG-1600. It weighs about 1kg (2 lb), requiring the use of a larger drone. /8
During testing, drone pilots were able to hit a target 1m (3ft) in size from an altitude of 300m (900 ft). At that altitude the drone would have been virtually invisible and inaudible. /9
Another tactic appears to be the use of what are likely to be aerially-dropped mortar rounds - a very simple and cheap option, particularly against weakly armoured vehicles such as these Russian BMP-3s (with only about 10mm of top armour). /10
The effect of these can be seen in the video below. /11
The cost-effectiveness of these things is extraordinary. An octocopter drone costs maybe $10k, a Phantom 3 costs around $500. A mortar or RKG-1600 probably costs under $100. Each BMP-3 cost the Russians $796k. Add to that the potential cost of a lost crew. /12
You can bet that military strategists will be watching this with great interest. Drones are now able to effectively snipe soldiers and equipment with great precision, likely undetected, at any time of the day or night and in most weather conditions. /13
Even if you're camouflaged, bivouacked or behind the front lines, a drone armed with a small bomb could be overhead at any moment. Drone pilots are the new snipers of the 21st century, and are likely to be just as much feared by their targets. /end
An extra point about how effective those converted anti-tank grenades (RKG-1600) are: the most recent models of the base RKG-3 grenade can penetrate 220 mm of rolled homogeneous armour. That's more than enough to take out a tank, as this video shows:
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1/ Large numbers of elderly Russian men are being attracted by fat recruitment bonuses to join the war in Ukraine for the financial benefit of their families. "I've lived my life, we'll get an apartment for my son now, so what if I get killed?", asks one. ⬇️
2/ The independent Russian media outlet Verstka reports that men over 50 from all over Russia are travelling to Moscow to join the army there, enticed by what have until recently been the highest military recruitment salaries in Russia.
3/ Ukraine's incursion in the Kursk region in August 2024 galvanised enlistment, according to staff at one Moscow recruitment office. They say that lines began forming at the office after the incursion, with 500 people a day queuing to sign up.
1/ In a sign of further financial trouble for the Russian government, which is facing increasing problems due to the economic strain of the war in Ukraine, public servants are said to have been unexpectedly told that they must pay all taxes six weeks ahead of schedule. ⬇️
2/ The VChK-OGPU Telegram channel reports:
"Despite the legal deadline for paying property taxes for individuals being 1 December 2025, Federal Tax Service employees at all levels are being quietly, but by order,…
3/ …forced to pay received tax demands by the end of this week and to provide scanned payment documents and tax calculations to their immediate supervisors for compliance monitoring. Moreover, there is no official explanation for this.
1/ The recent destruction of a Russian column at Volodymyrivka has prompted strong reactions from Russian warbloggers. Some claim the attack to have been successful, despite the losses; others castigate commanders for sacrificing lives and vehicles. ⬇️
2/ 'Military Informant' is in the first camp, commenting:
"While during the summer months, the vector of combat operations along the entire front had shifted toward small infantry groups of several men, transported to the front lines by light wheeled vehicles, in this case,…
3/ …for the first time in a long time, we are witnessing the mass use of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers. Clearly, the accumulated reserves were deployed to expand the existing breakthrough zone, simplify its logistics,…
1/ A Russian soldier has recorded a video in advance of his own anticipated murder, speaking about how his commander has executed and buried other members of his unit, as well as hoarding aid meant for the soldiers. The speaker has since disappeared and is now likely dead too. ⬇️
2/ Pre-murder videos are a distinct genre of selfie videos made by Russian soldiers (see below for a couple more examples). They explain calmly why they are about to be killed – generally because they have complained about corrupt officers or disobeyed orders.
1/ Russian troops on the Dnipro delta islands are dying of starvation, according to Russian warbloggers. They say that swarms of Ukrainian drones have caused extreme logistical difficulties, leading to soldiers being cut off for months.
2/ The marshy islands of the lower Dnipro below Kherson city have been contested by both sides since 2022. Neither side controls them, but recently leaked casualty figures show that over 5,100 Russians have been killed in the region since 1 January 2025.
3/ Two Russian warbloggers highlight what has been going on there. 'Callsign OSETIN' writes:
"Fighting continues on the islands in the Kherson direction (slightly less frequently, but it's still happening). Few people write about it, but our men on the islands are true heroes.
1/ A Russian submarine stricken with a serious fuel leak has surfaced off Brittany and is being tracked by the French Navy. Meanwhile, leaked documents describe how a Russian missile corvette collided with a civilian tanker on 7 August 2025. ⬇️
2/ The VChK-OGPU Telegram channel reports that the Russian Black Sea Fleet submarine Novorossiysk (B-261) has surfaced off the coast of Brittany. It is being monitored by a French Navy frigate, according to NATO's Maritime Command.
3/ VChK-OGPU reports that the submarine's fuel system is damaged and is leaking directly into the hull:
"There are no repair parts or qualified specialists on board, and the crew is unable to fix the malfunction. The serious accident has led to other problems."