NewsDrone heroics: Ukraine operator saves roe deer from minefield

Drone heroics: Ukraine operator saves roe deer from minefield

A drone on the front line and... deer. What did the operator do?
A drone on the front line and... deer. What did the operator do?
Images source: © X

5:09 PM EDT, May 25, 2024

A rare situation unfolded amidst the war in Ukraine when an Armed Forces reconnaissance drone spotted three roe deer in a field entire of anti-tank mines. The drone operator needed to stay calm, as one wrong move with the control stick could have had severe consequences. He managed to help the wild animals.

May 25 marks the 822nd day of the war in Ukraine. During this time, many soldiers have died on both sides of the conflict beyond our eastern border. It's impossible to count the heavy equipment that has been scrapped due to intense battles at the front line. The reported statistics are only estimates.

The war in Ukraine is unique, with drones being the most popular weapon. Drones are used as kamikaze units to kill infantry, destroy heavy equipment, and target infrastructure at and far behind the front line (such as regular Ukrainian attacks on power plants and gas pipelines deep within Russia). They are also used as scouts and are equipped with thermal cameras to measure and image the temperature of objects.

The operator of such a reconnaissance drone, equipped with an infrared camera, spotted three roe deer. There would be nothing alarming if not for the fact that the animals had run onto a minefield.

Roe deer on a minefield in Ukraine, saved by a drone

Every life matters... The operator of a Ukrainian drone noticed that three roe deer had entered a minefield. He scared the animals away, skillfully guiding them to a safe place, reported the Belsat agency on platform X.

In the video footage on platform X, you can see three roe deer unaware they are brush with death. At one point, it seems the drone operator flew close. One of the deer startled and stopped a few inches away from a mine under its hooves.

If the animal had even touched the weapon, the explosion's force would most likely have killed all three deer standing next to each other. The drone remained motionless for a few seconds, and the deer began to move in the opposite direction of the mine. The operator guided the deer another several yards before they ran away from the mine-filled field.