This is the moment a Russian soldier blew up his unit’s base before making a dramatic defection to Ukraine.
The footage shows a first-person view (FPV) drone pilot, known only by his callsign “Silver,” destroying the camp before switching sides.
In the clip, the officers are seen cleaning their weapons and talking before going to bed.
A large fire breaks out in the basement bedroom, where there were about 15 men at the time.
The explosion, which occurred in the Storm-Z unit, seriously injured the battalion commander, according to reports.
A picture showing the moment a Russian soldier blew up his own camp before defecting to the Ukrainian front.
First-person view (FPV) drone pilot blew up the headquarters of a Storm-Z unit
Storm-Z units are typically made up of ex-convicts and ex-mercanaries.
Silver’s attack and defection were months in the making and meticulously planned with the assistance of Russia’s Freedom Legion (FRL).
Once outside the unit’s base, the FPV drone pilot dropped infantry mines on the road before taking a pre-set route towards the Ukrainian frontline.
At a news conference in kyiv on Wednesday, Silver said he had become disillusioned with his unit after seeing it commit atrocities.
He added that he had signed up “to protect his homeland” and not to “die for Putin.”
The explosion engulfed the basement bedroom, where 15 commanders were sleeping.
An FRL commander with the call sign ‘César’ told the Telegraph that the defection demonstrated how “intelligent and brave people” could help overthrow the Putin regime.
He added that the drone pilot will soon join the front line to fight Putin’s forces.
A spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate said Silver had provided “valuable intelligence” on Russian battle plans and unit positions.
Ukrainian forces have been running a program to convert marginalized Russian soldiers, called “I Want to Live.”
