In Ukraine, drones have become the main hunters of tanks. Even German tanks are powerless. Ukrainian drones now play an important role in shooting down Russian tanks, but the Russians are also increasingly using drones to shoot down tanks. A Russian military force, specializing in using first-person view kamikaze drones to hunt down Ukrainian armored vehicles, claims to have engaged three German-made Leopard battle tanks in just 2 days.
According to Russian media, an FPV drone in the context of the Ukrainian conflict is a weaponized quadcopter piloted by an operator wearing a headset displaying a live feed from the onboard camera. The arrangement reportedly improves piloting skills, allowing precision attacks on parts of the target where the weapon can inflict maximum damage. The drone normally carries an anti-tank rocket grenade for a regular shoulder-fired launcher such as an RPG.
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A Telegram Channel released videos of three FPV drone hits on what appear to be Leopard tanks, showcasing the operations of "Bo." The abbreviation stands for Unmanned Rapid Response Squad in Russian, forming an acronym that means Beaver, inspiring the force to use the rodent as its mascot. The drone attacks were apparently conducted during two separate operations. During one, the first tank was attacked while moving forward, firing its main gun.
The second one seemed to be attempting a retreat, judging by the deployment of a smoke screen just before it was hit. The last video appears to show a surprise attack on a moving tank. In all three cases, the operator was targeting the turret bustle rack, a compartment in the back of the turret where some of the tank's ammo can be stored. It is unclear where exactly the video was filmed. According to Russian media, Bo started out as a small experimental Defense Ministry unit in September 2022, which would swiftly redeploy to parts of the front line where suitable targets could be found. It has since reportedly evolved into an entire program of mobile FPV drone squads.
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