Russia Deploys Improvised Hoverboard Drones With Anti-Tank Mines, Video

Russia continues to field improvised ground-based explosive drones based on commercial hoverboards, according to Defense Express on May 11. These low-cost systems, first publicly shown in 2024, have recently reappeared in newly published footage from the battlefield.

The platforms were initially introduced by the Russian volunteer group “Two Majors” in July 2024.

At the time, Russian media shared video of a prototype system built from two hoverboards paired together and armed with a TM-62 anti-tank mine. According to reports at the time, the devices were already in use by Russian units operating in Ukraine.

The concept follows a pattern similar to existing ground-launched explosive drones, with the key difference being cost and simplicity. The use of readily available commercial components like hoverboards allows for rapid and inexpensive production.

Russia is believed to face little difficulty in sourcing the necessary equipment.

While sightings of these devices remain rare, their continued appearance suggests an increase in production. Earlier footage from the winter of 2025 showed Russian troops loading hoverboards into transport vehicles.

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War in Ukraine

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Commentary on the video included references to the lack of available military vehicles, although analysts suggest the equipment is intended primarily for use as expendable robotic platforms.

No official technical specifications have been released for the hoverboard-based drones. However, prior estimates suggest they can carry payloads of up to 100 kilograms, travel at speeds up to 12 km/h, and operate over distances of up to 2 kilometers for approximately three hours.

Earlier on April 9, Ukrainian forces from the 66th Mechanized Brigade destroyed a rare Russian KRVD river-crossing system using FPV drones—the first confirmed loss of such equipment since the start of the full-scale invasion.