FPV “Taxi” Attack: Ukrainian Drone Lands on Buk Loader, Rides 15 km, Self-Destructs, Blows Up the System

Ukrainian FPV drone from Lasar’s Group got a “ride” from a Russian air defense system and used it as a weapon, hopping aboard a Buk-series loader and driving it roughly 15 kilometers toward the enemy launcher before triggering a self-destruct that destroyed hostile equipment, the National Guard of Ukraine reported on October 6.

Video shared by the unit and released by the National Guard shows a small, AI-capable quadcopter landing on a 9A316 launch-loading vehicle (part of the Buk family), apparently synchronizing with the truck’s movement—a “SYNC” indicator appears on the drone’s feed, Ukrainian defense media outlet Defense Express stated.

The drone then rode on the vehicle for about 15 kilometers, maintaining communications with its operators and apparently relaying position data as it moved toward the likely location of the Buk battery.

Russian troops initially mistook the drone for a harmless “rider,” even taking pictures with it and poking at it with a stick, the footage shows, before one of the drones exploded, detonating the air defense missiles of the system.

After the drone’s self-destruction, it is most likely that at least one vehicle was heavily damaged or destroyed; operators in the video celebrated the result, and Russian personnel are seen fleeing the scene.

Earlier, resistance group ATESH claimed one of its agents embedded in the Russian military provided photos and coordinates of a deployed Buk air defense system, enabling Ukrainian forces to strike and destroy the installation.

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