Russian mafia adopts FPV drones for high-tech assassinations
In Russia, for the first time in history, an FPV drone was used in a mafia vendetta to eliminate a competitor. The Russian mafia appears to be adopting the well-known combat tactics from Ukraine. We explain what this means.
According to the portal Rumafia, a businessman in one of the Transbaikalia regions was murdered using an FPV drone equipped with explosives. This was likely a mafia vendetta, as conducting business in Russia often involves collaboration with criminal groups.
In response to this incident, Russian law enforcement plans to enlist all local veterans with drone experience from the so-called special operation, which refers to the war in Ukraine.
FPV drones — a revolution from the war in Ukraine
FPV drones gained fame in Ukraine in late 2022 and early 2023. After a few months of mass destruction of Russian equipment, their effectiveness waned due to the use of signal jammers and satellite navigation disruptors. Subsequently, both Ukrainians and the quickly adapting Russians engaged in a unique frequency war between drone operators and jammer manufacturers.
Recently, FPV drones have experienced a resurgence in dominance, but this time they are immune to jammers due to the use of wired connections via extended optical fibers.
FPV drones — a remote-controlled bomb for mere pennies
FPV drones are simple in construction, costing just a few hundred dollars, which is negligible for criminal groups. Essentially, they require only a frame, a control system, antennas (not necessarily), electric motors with rotors, batteries, and a camera. You can attach anything that explodes to such a drone, effectively creating what one might call a "guided missile for the poor."
In Russia, it's likely that the assassin used a drone operated via radio communication, which does not leave a trail like optical fibers do.
However, specialized equipment can precisely detect the launch location of a flying drone, leading to the pilot if different masking methods, such as setting up control station antennas away from one's location, are not employed. It is possible that some of these devices will be pulled back to the country if mafia executions using FPV drones become more common in Russia.
