Reports from pro-Russian military bloggers last week suggested that goggles used by Russians to maneuver first-person-view drones in the war against Ukraine contained improvised explosive devices.
As many as eight people reportedly were injured, but the extent of the injuries was not reported or even confirmed by Russian military leaders.
The Kyiv Post reported Thursday a source from Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence claimed it conducted the operation with help from Ukraine supporters inside Russia. The report said the goggles were fitted with about 15 grams, or a half-ounce, of plastic explosives in as many as 80 goggles that volunteers inside Russia were able to get into the supply chain.
When the goggles were put on, the explosive charge was positioned near the side of the operator's head. "Today, the horrors of war are unfolding quite literally before the eyes of enemy FPV [first-person view] pilots," the intelligence source told the Post. "This is a well-deserved punishment for the war crimes Russian occupiers commit against Ukraine every day."
The use of drones in the war reportedly has reached staggering proportions, with millions believed to have been used as the conflict will mark its third anniversary Monday.
Ukraine claims it can produce up to 4 million a year, according to a report from the European Council on Foreign Relations. The Ukraine plot is similar to one devised by Israeli intelligence to convert pagers into explosive devices that were put into the hands of Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, killing more than 30 and injuring thousands.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.