A Russian soldier dressed in a penguin-like disguise was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike after being spotted waddling across a snowy battlefield. The bizarre footage shows the soldier awkwardly moving in a hooded, cloaked costume with squared shoulders and a beak-like protrusion, designed to mask his body heat from thermal imaging.
However, the thermal blocking cape, which left the soldier's feet exposed, failed to protect him. A follow-up clip captured the moment a Ukrainian drone targeted the lone figure, resulting in a fiery explosion that left no trace. The suits, used by Russian forces for nearly a year, are meant to hide soldiers from drones but often make them more visible due to the contrast created against warmer backgrounds.
Former British Army colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon described the suits as 'no invisibility cloak', stating they make soldiers 'more acquirable than less'. Drones have caused the majority of casualties on both sides, with a Latvian intelligence report estimating they account for 70-80% of injuries and deaths, contributing to a tactical deadlock in the conflict.
