Moment Putin's troops targeted on the Dnipro as Ukraine deploys 'suicide drones' to thwart soldiers' escape attempt
The footage, released by the Ukrainian army, shows Russian soldiers coming under fire as they attempt to escape along one of the country's best-known rivers
The moment Putin's troops were targeted as they attempted to escape back to Russian-occupied territory along the Dnipro River has been caught on camera by Ukraine's military.
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Ukraine targeted Russian troops on the Dnipro River after they were spotted by soldiers hiding beneath makeshift camouflage gear along the banks of the river.
The stretch of water is known for its reed-covered marshes, with narrow tributaries feeding into the river and acting as a natural barrier south of Kherson.
After identifying the troops through ripples in the water - and with their position locked, Ukraine's 'suicide drones' swept in to target the soldiers as they attempted to flee.
“The area is a death zone for Russia,” Colonel Oleksandr Zavtonov of Ukraine’s 30th Marine Corps said.
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“There is nowhere to hide," he added, speaking with the Telegraph.
The footage shows the drone closing in on the vessel at high speed, with an identifying Russian flag appearing on screen beside the group.
The river's location means the right bank is held by Ukraine, with the lower-lying marshland on the left, which is often prone to flooding, currently occupied by Russian troops.
Ukrainian intelligence suggests that 5,100 Russians have died this year alone on the delta, either through a lack of supplies or after being targeted by Ukraine's military.
“The prisoners that our fighters recently took on the islands talked about the inability to deliver food and drinking water to them, and they have to drink water from the river,” said Colonel Zavtonov.
“Enemy advances are carried out by small groups that try to camouflage themselves – a tactic not seen at the beginning of the war,” added Oksana Kuzan, head of the analytical department at the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre.
“Russian military units remaining on the islands in the Dnipro delta are facing serious problems with food, ammunition, and rotations.”
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have joined leaders from across Europe in insisting Ukraine is "the only party serious about peace".
In a joint statement, the leaders, including France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz, Italy's Giorgia Meloni and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, said the current front line in Ukraine "should be the starting point of negotiations" for a peace deal.