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Russian Drone Operators Killed After Using Explosive-Laced Fiber Spools
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Russian drone operators have reportedly suffered casualties after receiving rigged fiber-optic spools that detonated upon use, according to Militarnyi on March 26, citing sources in a Ukrainian security service and radio intercept data.
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The intercepted communications indicate that at least five Russian servicemen were killed and four others wounded across multiple units operating in different regions, including Zaporizhzhia region, Luhansk region, and Russia’s Bryansk region.
The outlet reports that the incidents involved units such as the 1445th Motor Rifle Regiment near Tokmak, the 189th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion near Kreminna, and the 32nd Separate Rifle Battalion near Sevsk. Losses varied by location, with both fatalities and injuries recorded following the use of the equipment.
According to Militarnyi, the fiber-optic spools were reportedly delivered in small batches, typically four units at a time. The report suggests this approach may have been intended to maximize impact, as additional devices in the same batch were reportedly not used after initial detonations.
The publication also references video material allegedly showing Russian personnel thanking a volunteer identified as “Petr Lukanov,” who is described as a fictitious figure used to facilitate the delivery of the equipment.
According to Militarnyi, similar incidents were first reported in late February, when Russian pro-war Telegram channels claimed that two servicemen were killed in comparable explosions.
Sources cited by the outlet at the time indicated that large quantities of such equipment had been distributed through informal supply networks, including individuals posing as volunteers and charitable organizations.
Previous operations involved the transfer of modified FPV drone goggles containing explosive devices. More recently, Russia’s Federal Security Service stated it had identified heated boot insoles allegedly fitted with concealed explosives that had also entered military circulation.
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