Russia Uses Its Own Soldiers as Drone Bait, Leaked Video Shows

Russian troops have begun using their soldiers—those who refuse to follow orders—as bait for Ukrainian drone strikes, Militarny reported on February 25.

A leaked video shows a captured Russian soldier, identified as Ivan Tretyakov, born May 29, 2002, from Kamensk-Uralsky, Sverdlovsk region, Russia. Bound to a tree with wire around his neck, Tretyakov is interrogated by several Russian soldiers.

Tretyakov admitted he had been afraid to take part in an assault against Ukrainian positions and had considered injuring himself to avoid battle.

“When we were at the staging point, I was scared to run under the ‘bird’ [a drone loaded with explosives], so I ran back and took cover,” Tretyakov explained in the video.

“When I was hiding, my comrade Zhan told me, ‘Let me ‘300’ you [wound you], so you can get out.’”

He refused, but when another soldier attempted to injure himself, he accidentally shot Tretyakov instead.

During the interrogation, one of the Russian soldiers suddenly cut the conversation short, saying, “Oh, it’s coming. They’re about to greet us.” Tretyakov immediately looked up.

Another soldier added, “I can tell you right now—when it gets here, it’ll drop [explosives] immediately.” Moments later, the video ended.

Despite knowing an incoming Ukrainian drone strike was imminent, the Russian troops did not attempt to free Tretyakov or shield him from the attack. This suggests his captivity in the strike zone was intentional.

This tactic of using soldiers as decoys is not unique. In December, Ukrainian special forces in Russia’s Kursk region found a notebook on a dead North Korean fighter, Kyong Hong Jong, detailing instructions on how to lure enemy drones using a fellow soldier as bait.

Earlier, reports emerged that North Korean troops deployed in Russia displayed a reluctance to surrender, with some resorting to using grenades to take their own lives rather than being captured.