THIS is the shocking moment Russian soldiers are sent out to battle without helmets or armour on as they are hunted down by drones.
Described as “a warped new trend” by Ukrainian war chiefs, Vladimir Putin has been accused of throwing his men into active warzones with little chance of ever returning home.
Footage shared by the Ukrainian military shows Moscow’s defenceless troops scrambling through open fields and worn down woodlands in the Donetsk Oblast.
The panicking men can be seen running away from deadly drones flying above them all while wearing just combat uniform.
They have no form of defensive weapons and no protective gear on – leaving them as sitting ducks.
One clip shows a soldier trying to creep through a forest area as he brushes past snapped branches and dying timber only to look up and see the drone hovering above.
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Another member of Vlad’s army appears to accept his fate on the battlefield.
He can be seen standing still in an open field below the menacing drone making a final prayer to God.
The soldier makes the sign of the cross before clasping his hands together and kneeling on the ground.
Footage of the final moments for Vlad’s soldiers were shared by the 66th separate mechanised brigade.
They said that at least six soldiers who have recently been killed in Donetsk were wearing no protective clothing at the time.
Kyiv believes similar instances of Russian negligence are being seen across the frontline in worrying numbers.
Igor Komok, deputy commander of Ukraine’s 2nd mechanised battalion of the 66th separate mechanised brigade, told The Telegraph: “It’s a new trend. Especially if you compare it to last year, when there were practically no similar cases.
“We can say they are being forced to fight without the armour they need. They must do it.
“Helmets were only worn in four groups out of the last 20 – these are not isolated cases.”
“We are forced to destroy them, because if we don’t do this, our guys may die.”
The clips are all said to have been filmed between late October and November.
Dmytro Zhmailo, executive director of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, said the lack of safety gear for the Russians is just another example of Putin’s brutality.
He described Russia as viewing their troops as “disposable”.
Zhmailo added: “The lack of protective gear is an adaptation to the current conditions on the front line, where the Russian army is suffering disproportionately high losses in daily ‘meat grinder’ assaults.”
It remains unclear what the ultimate goal is to send out troops in such dangerous states.
Russia does often deploy unarmed men in active warzones to run by foot into battlefields to deliver provisions and ammunition.
They are often given the nickname “camels” due to them being the ones who transport the goods to the elite soldiers.
The Kremlin is also accused of sending its defenceless troops into certain areas knowing they are likely to die.
Zhmailo says it is likely that many of the Russian troops caught by the 66th Brigade were sent to collect weapons and supplies left behind by killed comrades.
These men are said they can protect themselves once they collect the lost goods by using the weapons and armour they find.
But in many cases these soldiers are quickly caught and taken out.
We are forced to destroy them, because if we don’t do this, our guys may die
Igor Komok,
“The Russian command simply saves resources by not supplying the foot soldiers,” Zhmailo adds.
It comes as Ukrainian civilians are facing a continued assault at the hands of Russia almost every night.
Kyiv residents were awoken on Saturday by a deadly drone barrage which has left at least two dead and dozens wounded.
Ukraine’s energy ministry more than 600,000 people were left without power after the Russian attack on the power grid which hit facilities in Kyiv and five other regions.
The attacks come as peace talks escalate over ending the war in Ukraine.
The US is now expected to recognise Russia’s control over Crimea and other occupied Ukrainian territories.
An initial 28-point peace plan included America’s “de facto” recognition of Crimea and the two eastern Donbas regions.
It also contained “de facto” recognition of Russian-held land in Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
However, Ukrainian and US officials have now negotiated a new 19-point-plan.
It is said to be less favourable to Moscow‘s demands.