Putin’s forces sent booby-trapped drone goggles that...

Explosives were concealed inside Cobra goggles used by Russian drone operators in the latest example of the deadly electronic warfare against Vladimir Putin’s military. A batch of the booby-trapped devices – supplied as part of a humanitarian aid packaged – was intercepted en route to the front line in Ukraine. Footage shared by Russian Telegram channels shows the 10-15 grams of charge placed under the casing of the goggles, close to the temple of the wearer.

Image Credit: Metro [Explosives found hidden in FPV goggles]

Each contained a plastic explosives charge designed to detonate when the devices were switched on. The sabotage was reportedly foiled during inspection of humanitarian aid provided by volunteers. Igor Potapov, official representative of JSC NPP, which develops electronic warfare equipment, told Russian state news agency Tass that the goggles were Skyzone Cobra X v4 FPV. ‘A batch of Skyzone Cobra X v4 FPV glasses was donated by a person named Roman on humanitarian grounds,’ he said.

‘When the glasses were turned on, a detonation occurred and an explosion occurred. ‘When the batch was opened, packaged plastic explosives were found in all of these products.’. Cases of sabotage against the Russian military and Putin allies continue to be reported, as closes as a few miles to the Kremlin. The explosives were discovered in the drone goggles just days after a pro-Russian paramilitary leader and his bodyguard were killed in an bomb blast at their hotel in Moscow.

A top Russian general was also assassinated after an incendiary device was planted in an e-scooter outside his apartment building in the capital. Drones are being increasingly used by Russian forces to self-destruct – like a bomb – and target Ukrainian positions and vehicles. The Chinese Skyzone company specialises in electronic equipment needed to control first-person view (FPV) drones. Skyzone’s Cobra X v4 has become a favourite among both military and civilian users because of the quality and stability of its images and signal control.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Putin preparing to name bodyguard who ‘saved him from being eaten by a bear’ as successor. Arrow MORE: Putin’s troops are getting so desperate they’re using donkeys to supply ammo. Arrow MORE: Trump’s ‘leaked’ plan for Ukraine war could see ceasefire ‘in weeks’.