Russian troops have been targeted by Ukrainian drones while using the bathroom outside their positions on the front line of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
But this has been a long-used tactic by Ukraine, which has struck Russian soldiers squatting over holes with their pants around their ankles for nearly two years now.
Ukrainian operators have regularly posted recordings of their drones’ live video feeds showing the strikes.
While Ukrainian troops have also been attacked while using the bathroom, Ukraine’s ambushes on Russian troops is noteworthy and a consistent pattern.
Daily life on the front-line dugout has taken on greater importance as winter sets in and the ground in Ukraine turns muddy and cold.
READ MORE: Moment ‘Russian troops kill unarmed soldiers’ as Ukraine launches probe
But Ukrainian troops have an advantage on the poorly-trained Russian draftees who make up a growing proportion of the Kremlin’s forces in Ukraine.
Mark Hertling, a retired US Army general, said in a post on X: “While weather and the terrain treat both sides equally…disciplined soldiers fare better.”
A recent video from battle ground near Avidiivka in eastern Ukraine shows a Russian soldier sheltering beside a destroyed armored vehicle to defecate, drawing the attention of a Ukrainian drone that blows him up.
Other videos show similar incidents occurring.
In these situations, the Russian soldiers violated a basic rule of fieldcraft on the battlefield, in which enemy surveillance – and aerial firepower – is everywhere.
The US Army said in its field manual for snipers: “All latrine calls should be done during darkness, if possible.”
Concealment is vital for survival, and using the bathroom outside of a hidden position is a profound risk.
Young and poorly-trained Russian soldiers may not know this, and Ukrainian soldiers are using it to their advantage.
Jack Watling, an analyst for the Royal United Services Institute in London, wrote in a recent essay: “The winter once again poses an opportunity to maximize Russian losses.
“If Russian troops are drawn into the defense along a wide front, with Ukrainian troops pushing into opportunities rather than trying to break through defended areas, then Russian forces will be outside, getting wet and cold.
“If targeted strikes can degrade their logistics, then the limited training and fieldcraft of Russian forces can maximize climatic injuries.”
Follow our social media accounts here on facebook.com/ExpressUSNews and @expressusnews
