Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen the widespread use of drones on both sides and now it seems that the supply chain for these units is being targeted as well. According to
The War Zone, FPV goggles destined for Russian drone operators on the front line were found to have explosives buried inside them. These were set to detonate once the unit had been turned on, injuring and potentially incapacitating, or killing, the drone pilot.
These goggles reportedly contained a small amount of plastic explosive — about 10 to 15 grams — but its placement near the temple of the operator makes it quite deadly. Since they were set to detonate once the goggles had been activated, it almost certainly guarantees that a drone pilot might have been wearing them when the explosive charge detonated.
The booby-trapped items in question are FPV Skyzone Cobra goggles acquired from China by reportedly unwitting volunteers, and they were transported into the country via the Russian parcel service SDEK. The operation was thwarted because the Russian military noticed the packages were seemingly tampered with, showing signs of being opened. Upon closer inspection, it was noticed that the FPV goggles looked like they had been previously opened, which led to the discovery of the hidden explosives. Perhaps the cunning saboteurs should have invested in a shrinkwrap machine.
