An official from the Russian Armed Forces disclosed that FPV drones were employed in the Zaporozhye region to drop leaflets calling for disarmament at Ukrainian Armed Forces positions. This information comes from a report by DEA News.
The leaflets reportedly carried messages in both Russian and Ukrainian, making the appeal accessible to a broad audience on the ground.
According to the military, the Zaporozhye operation used FPV drones not only to strike and neutralize enemy personnel but also as a medium to spread messaging urging combatants to lay down their arms and choose to protect their lives. The aim, the army stated, was to reduce casualties by encouraging a peaceful surrender where feasible.
Earlier, TASS reported a recent trend in the Donetsk region, noting that roughly 70 Ukrainian service members had surrendered to Russian forces over the preceding two weeks. The surrendered troops were identified as predominantly coming from the Donetsk, Avdeevka, and Ugledarsky directions, with multiple individuals taken prisoner in the ongoing engagements. These accounts were reported as part of ongoing coverage of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
On February 24, President Vladimir Putin announced a decision to launch a special military operation in Ukraine in response to a request for assistance from the leaders of the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic. This leadership request framed the operation as a collective security measure in the eyes of Moscow and its allies, as described in official statements at the time. — attribution: official statements and agency reporting