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codece

lol is he hitting a vape while he's flying the drone?


paint_thetown_red

It’s the Gen Z war


lkodl

Fortnite was a government psyop to the find the next generation of tactical geniuses, and workout videos on tiktok to find candidates to be super soldiers.


JBenn82

Enders game the next generation


LetsTryAnal_ogy

The Last Starfighter, a New Millennium.


Stonk-tronaut

More like Robyn William's Toys.


Art0fRuinN23

Fortnite players would make better house framers than generals with all the damn building in that game.


ArnoF7

I wouldn't be surprised if people who are good at video games turn out to be decent operators of this kind of unmanned weapons in the future when they become mainstream. They have good hand-eye coordination and good reflexes. Just take some training to learn how to work in a tactical environment, and they are ready to kill.


crystalblue99

There was a movie like that in the 80's. A video game put on earth by aliens to find the best pilot.


im-old-an-dont-care

The last starfighter.


WingerRules

Every see the movie Toys?


Ok-Sound-7737

You know.. i have thought that the future of war was going to be behind digital screens coming down to actual video-game like skill sets. It’s crazy to know that there lies a possibility in which someone who has zero physical prowess in combat can yield the same result as a war machine.


mynameisnotrose

I saw the full video on YouTube (Radio One, I think). He looked and sounded a lot like my teenage kid. Still the baby fat, round cheeks. It breaks my heart.


modernmovements

There's going to be an entire generation that grows up with some serious trauma.


vfernandez84

I remember years ago reading through a WW2 memory, of the battle of britain if I remember correctly, in which the narrator explains how some of those fighter pilots were not old enought to have a drivers license, and how they were still up there defending their country with contraptions much more complex than a car. So I would say we have a long tratition of putting children to operate deadly machinery once things become desperate enought.


bokandusan

This is so true, in my country there was as sayin durin Balkan wars(pre ww1): if you are as high as a rifle is long you can go to war, an then the rifles got shorter and shorter...


modernmovements

Oh for sure. There’s child soldiers all over the world. I meant collectively. Whether it’s teenagers blowing invaders up with drones or 9yr olds who live under threat of cruise missiles/glide bombs/artillery. It’s leaves its mark


CheekyFactChecker

Totally agree, but I'd swap out 'profitable' for 'desperate' in today's world.


Fit-Psychology4598

What a great time to be a young and very able bodied man.


chasing_daylight

He's 21...it's no different than any other military member...


dutsi

lol


honduranhere

he is Vaping , smilling and taking an invasor's life


filtersweep

The kids he is killing don’t want to be there either. Say what you will, but they are just pawns. Cannon fodder. They aren’t officers or politicians.


Xizithei

The sad reality is that I have not seen many "kids" on the RuAF side in the last year and a half. Mostly middle-aged men. One can assume it was, or otherwise if it showed some 19-23 year old in the longer video perhaps he was fair enough, however, in reality, they have destroyed their more youthful infantry forces fighting over towns, bergs, and villages, as wells as stretches of dirt, and formerly plowed fields of no real strategic consequence as far as a larger war than the current battle would dictate.


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Monsieur_Brochant

Not all Russian soldiers are monsters, most of them are poor young lads who didn't choose to be there. Seeing him laugh so casually after taking a life made me chill


cgiink

It comes down to kill or be killed. It didn't sink well too, the laughing at the end, but that's what it is unfortunately, sad really.


Bagabeans

I suspect that was just media editing anyway. The way the video cuts in and someone says 'Good one' as he bursts out laughing, I'd wager one of the other soldiers let out a massive fart while recording and it's nothing to do with the mission.


hippowolf12

Yeah I find this whole thing really sad. I mean war is sad. I understand people die in war but the sadness comes from how it’s being treated so much like a video game. So disconnected from the reality of actually taking someone’s life. I understand it’s not that simple and if someone was coming for me I can’t say that I wouldn’t defend myself. But just through a computer, targeting someone and taking their life without having to be there or feel any of that accountability, is very sad to me.


waterfucker_

I explained this elsewhere but these soldiers don’t care about our feelings. They need to make it a game to be able to do their jobs. They can’t feel bad, it’s not their reason and not their place to do that.


BuffelsBill

Exactly, most people aren't wired for killing other humans, dehumanizing the enemy helps with this. That laughter is a defense mechanism.


crystalblue99

> most people aren't wired for killing other humans Thing is, when the war is done, can you turn the killer back to "normal"


hippowolf12

I think that’s precisely why I find it sad


chanceler4

"do you want courage?, sniff this line right here With this stuff, you’ll have the guts to kill all night without fear" Naquela Sala - Canção de Ao Cubo


SheFoundMyUzername

All night? Maybe the next 15-30 minutes


SuperSmashDan1337

Methamphetamine you'll get a solid 6-12 hours. Much better for war. (If you can stop fapping)


Jwroth

Is there any other way?


Fatman10666

What's the difference between this and when soldiers had their cigarettes in wwii


sendmebirds

Guy is in a war give him a break


RichProduct9236

And while he kills a person


StaatsbuergerX

Just a small addition: An armed and dangerous person with unfriendly intentions who has no right to be there. There's no question that the guy who was killed there isn't that dissimilar to the drone pilot. Maybe they're the same age, maybe they'd be good friends under different circumstances. Maybe he's there because he was drafted, maybe because he believes in it. We don't know, but it doesn't really matter, because under different circumstances he would have killed the drone pilot and his comrades in the field just as well if he'd had the chance. And he would have felt the same thrill (humans are wired that way), regardless of how he feels about the war as a whole. From the point of view of the defending party, only the last point is important at the moment. Everything else, such as personal remorse or personal inner justification, comes later.


slagborrargrannen

Kills an invadera who is there to kill him and replace his family to far Eastern Russia. And force them to live under a brutal dictator in a fascist regime.


pizza_-

all i could say was "damn" as i thought about the reality of what happened after the drone explodes. there is not much left of that man. war is hell


Overwatcher_Leo

It's worse, there might be something left of this man. These drones carry quite small warheads. They are likely to not kill you instantly, but to lethaly wound you. This gives you some extra premium time to bleed out in agony. Many just end it themselves with a grenade or gun at this point if they still can.


CELL_CORP

Saw a video of a russian dude whos lower body was made into bleeding mush by a drone. Bre was moving a bit, probably comming to terms with his death.


BettyBoo42

That is a horrendous way to die, all because a man in a suit wants more land


chrib123

Yeah most normal people die alone and slowly. Emergency responders are trained to say people died instantly and didn't suffer. But if your head isn't crushed you have time to realize you're dying.


Shadowdragon409

and they laughed afterwards. I'm not saying they are evil, but it is kind of fucked up.


Freudian_Split

War is inherently barbaric. If there is anything that 10 years working with combat veterans has taught me it’s that the idea of noble warfare was made by people who were far away from waging it.


mynameisnotrose

The people who write our anthems are seldom the ones pulling the trigger.


Noxious89123

*our


mynameisnotrose

Thanks. Brain fart.


Pappyjang

Was just talking to a dude at work who was infantry. He told a story that when your adrenaline gets high you have to poop like now. Well he said a gun fight was happening and in the middle of taking fire of returning fire with people yelling orders left and right, he looked over to see his commander or whatever it is, like 5ft from him with his pants down shitting while yelling orders in a walkie talkie. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life but the thought of actually being knee deep in that kind of situation is mind blowing


eithrusor678

Literally knee deep


BFS-9000

There's a lot of noble examples during wars in different periods. But it was more for aristocrats, "noble" people who could afford ransom. With this out and more propaganda its just kill or be killed. Also getting killed in 1 on 1 in melee combat and killed by some random explosion makes difference.


WolfOfPort

Straight up barbaric and caveman like tendency….sure in history we had to fight for land or whatever but i like to think we should have evolved past that as a society….now instead we got enough bombs to literally destroy the most precious planet in the entire universe and its just sad


HerbaDerbaSchnerba

I used to work guard duty with this psychopath from an infantry unit when I was in Afghanistan. He told me that he loved sticking his fingers in the bullet holes he made in Afghani women. It was “warm, wet, and wonderful,” he said… or something along those lines. I remember just sort of nervously laughing when he told me that. Watched that fucker a medal pinned on him for his confirmed kills or bravery in combat or some shit. He was super into Miley Cyrus.


amprok

Gallos humor man. War is hell.


Micklikesmonkeys

I worked at a holocaust museum in college. Heard some of the darkest humor during my time there. If you don’t laugh, you’ll go insane.


Lairdicus

As an EMS professional, can confirm some of the darkest shit we see makes for the funniest jokes


notdanflashes

I’ll never forget a young 20s kid who OD’d on multiple drugs waking up to say “fuck you all” and immediately dying. At the time, whoa. Afterwards? It’s one of the funniest things to happen in that ED.


Komosatuo

Sounds like a perfect "Well fuck you too, buddy." was missed, and I am now strangely upset about it.


BimboLimbo69

It's almost like humor is a coping mechanism or something. /s


papag00s

Gallows humor?


lionexx

Nothing new with dragged out war, after you move past the shock of war and it becomes your normal day to day, your psychology changes, this is one reason why PTSD runs rampet in vets… You could see them on the battlefield firing rifles confirming kills, laughing about it, shooting the shit with others, then years later come and that realization just creeps back in over and over… for some it leads to just episodes others can’t handle the trauma and end up killing themselves. It’s awful, but it makes sense, sure he is defending his homeland, sure he probably doesn’t want to kill, but he has this job, he’s good at it, so in the mean time he will try to make the best of it. It’s sad how much War happens in the world.


blanketswithsmallpox

Just saying PTSD is barely higher in vets than it is in the general population. >PTSD is slightly more common among Veterans than civilians. At some point in their life, 7 out of every 100 Veterans (or 7%) will have PTSD. In the general population, 6 out of every 100 adults (or 6%) will have PTSD in their lifetime. PTSD is also more common among female Veterans (13 out of 100, or 13%) versus male Veterans (6 out of 100, or 6%). We are learning more about transgender Veterans and those who do not identify as male or female (non-binary). https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_veterans.asp


Bud90

War is hell and all that but...he got what he believes is a good shot against combatants that are invading his country unjustly, and he did it through a screen. It might as well be a Call of Duty blast to him. He has like a million layers between him and the enemy, and since Ukraine is clearly on the just defensive here, I don't blame him at all.


RubyU

Good for Ukraine too that they can avoid having to put at least some of their youngsters in the firing line. He's fighting smart for his country.


Rottercum

It's a crutch. In dark times you laugh at things, it's all you have io ugly crying. Which will happen when it's over.


Heiferoni

Well yeah. If you don't disassociate and dehumanize the humans you're killing, you'd probably go crazy. That guy who we saw get killed is someone's son. He had a name. He has a history. He was once a kid who had friends and played video games and made pictures for his mom. He had doting grandparents who loved him. He had a favorite food and a favorite song. He went to school and took tests and stressed out about making friends. Then the kid grew up. Something went wrong along the way. He ended up the bad guy as an invader in another country. Think about his last moments, being hunted by a flying robot. Alone, terrified, helpless, desperately scrambling to hide. And then he hears the blades whirring towards him and it's all over. Yeah he's the bad guy and yeah, unfortunately in warfare ya gotta kill the invaders to win the war. But God damn is it fucked up what we do to each other.


emptimynd

It's how you cope. It is the only way.


Nice-Wrongdoer7088

The de-personalization of warfare is going to take it to a new level of hell


DarthJarJar242

It's fucked up that they are having to do this at all. That Russian soldier probably doesn't want to be there but was forced to be there by a corrupt regime, *that's* the truly fucked up part.


Darth-Adomis

when these people have been raping and killing your people for over 2 years im sure they take joy in every kill


Tapdatsam

War is fucked up. This is just one of the many realities of conflict...


saf_e

Probably he saw some videos from Bucha, or captives execution, or mass kills in public places from ballistic strike, or read some russian's publics where they enjoying all the suffering and tortures... I'm not saying this is good, but this fucker came to kill neighbors for money.  I would smile myself 


Chalky_Pockets

I'd probably laugh afterwards too. People are capable of incredible "cruelty" when you invade their home.


zhlnrvch

It's not when you see your country and its people being wiped out for years by people who enlisted just to close their credit lines.


pepta1

Should he cry instead? Russians came to kill them.


mikolajwisal

Humor is one of the best coping mechanisms. I'd much rather think "one less orc, gg", than wonder if he cried when he got sent to invade my country against his will or was he brainwashed into thinking I was a neonazi.


bluefast95

They can leave.


Agreeable_Practice65

russians are welcome to leave.


Inspector7171

The kid may have been orphaned by the war. or worse. I wouldn't judge a man who is fighting enemy's at the doorstep to his homeland. There are no wrong answers.


vikentii_krapka

Those bastards came to kill Ukrainians on their land and it is fucked up for Ukrainians to be happy when they are killed?


PsYcHo4MuFfInS

I mean, that was a person who would immediately shoot and kill him if given the chance. These russian soldiers are there for only two reasons: To kill Ukranians and to take their land. Id laugh too if I were to get rid of someone trying to kill me/my friends/my family/my country by just flying some object over to them.


ForMoreYears

They're defending their country and their family and friends from a people who want to eliminate them. Nothing fucked up about it at all.


MuskyChode

I think it has to be a way of coping with the reality of war and know you just killed another human.


Smokestack830

I've seen too many of these videos. What's more likely is the explosion took an arm off and broke his legs. So many of these hits end with the russian soldier lying in the dirt all shattered and broken but still alive and conscious. A horrific way to go, and a fate all too common for russian soldiers on the front lines.


UnknownEtymology808

War is hell, but it’s the people who start them and fight for the wrong side that are worth killing.


zombiez8mybrain

I don’t think it’s quite that black and white. Most of the Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine basically have two choices: fight in Putin’s war and probably die, or refuse and certainly die. I don’t think their deaths are anything to be celebrated. The Ukrainian drone pilot, on the other hand, is defending their country, their home, and their family. He is right to celebrate every single victory, large and small. Fuck Putin.


kotiavs

It’s not. Most of current russian soldiers are fighting for money. They receive 3-5k$ a month that is unreal to get in another way in their poor villages. and 15-20k$ in case of death. of course there are still some “mobiks” but mobilization is over for 1.5 years and russian army receives 20-30k recruits monthly. the only “fight in Putin’s war and probably die, or refuse and certainly die” case is when they are already on battlefield. so please don’t feel sorry for them. They just want their family to live a good life in exchange of ukrainians lives


MarsOptimusMaximus

All polling shows that support for Putin has gone up across all demographics since the war started. This is not a case of "Leaders bad, average person is just along for the ride." This is "all of Russia is happily tagging along with a genocidal maniac because it is materially benefiting them." And yes, I know that polling in autocracies is biased. But we still have metrics we can use that approximate the actual level of support.


Toyfan1

Polling in a dictatorship is your basis of what the average person thinks? Come on man. You have "metrics" that we can use to "approximate level of support", but choose to use polling- again, in a known dictatorship- as a source?


anincompoop25

There’s a sun that’s nothing but drone footage and footage of drones from the war. I spent wayyyy too long browsing the top posts. Completely uncensored. These drones are so incredibly fucking scary. There were so many clips there that will actually haunt me for a long time. What grenades do to a human body is horrifying


elwebst

All that was to get one guy?


fusillade762

"Smoke and dust, enemies are crushed, nothing left where a man once stood"


talivus

This is some cyberpunk warfare


punch_deck

right next to the vaping, very dystopian cyberpunk. only thing he's missing is Derms on his arms to keep him awake and fed during his time spent jacked in


bradeena

It’s super Matrix-ish. With the guy hooked up to another reality in a bunker and another two support on the computer.


MuricasOneBrainCell

I don't know why but it reminds me of Enclave tech in Half-life 2


J_Barker99

He's a carbon copy of the Harkonnen assassin that's in the wall of the Atreides house on Arrakis in Dune 1 that controls the little drone.


PooperTheSnooper

Its crazy how little emotion can be felt with this technology vs taking someones life up close in person Edit: In the video he says he has nightmares from it, so I was wrong


King-of-Plebss

Gallows humor. He probably is feeling that later when he process it. UAV pilots are just as prone to PTSD as someone on the front.


bambinolettuce

Not doubting this but is there actually any evidence of this? Drone warfare is still so new, Id be surprised if there has been studies on it. I have wondered if the effects are less since they are more detached...


Otaraka

This came up with remote controlled aircraft and Afghanistan etc. Do a search for drones and PTSD, it should come up. It was higher with drones than manned aircraft, but about a quarter of deployed. Given they're at risk of being shelled and much closer than the US pilots were, its probably closer to deployed.


bambinolettuce

Ah, interesting. Will do, thanks


Blue-Jay42

Drone warfare is not new. It's heavily used from mid 2000's to now.


TenBillionDollHairs

Regardless of what was seen in the moment, we know from the War on Terror that drone operators are in fact very prone to PTSD. There is actually an argument that it might be more common and that something about being there in person helps your brain rationalize and process it, whereas that doesn't happen for drone operators. Anyway, I know there are lots of guys who flew missions in Iraq and Afghanistan virtually from buildings in the southwest US who currently have PTSD. War remains hell for all involved.


SagesFury

The laughing in the moment doesnt prove anything either. I remember stories from vietnam vets with PTSD who were laughing when they were killing and only traumatized after thinking back on what they did. The laugh is a coping mechanism.


Otaraka

Also hes on video and around other people, so social pressures too.


Soup_4_Sou

I agree. Laughing is often a coping mechanism for truamatic events. Ive been through a lot of trauma in my life and my first reaction was to laugh. When i was told my house caught fire and nothing was left of my home, the first thing i did was laugh. And even just the fact that i laughed as a reaction to trauma has caused me anguish when i look back at it.


Beardopus

Except for the politicians and the arms manufacturers, that is.


Bud90

I wonder, when AI gets good enough they could absolutely put a filter on it so it ends up looking like a PS3 video-game for the operator, complete with a fake main manu and all that when it boots up.


UsErnaam3

Seems like a good way to conduct an Ender's Game final test with an entire population of unsuspecting players.


WingerRules

Look up the 1992 movie called Toys.


primaequa

Watch Black Mirror “Men Against Fire”


PlayGameWinPrizeLoL

Yeah, Russia should probably leave Ukraine so they don't have to deal with getting killed without sufficient emotion.


big_fat_sloth

Yeah, I'm sure the guy that was killed loved being there. Totally his individual choice. Edit: Not even gonna try to converse if y'all think the point is about not killing the invaders. Y'all dumb as bricks. Point is the average lowly soldier on either side is a victim. And I can't find it fun watching either die.


preventDefault

So the alternative is what… not to kill invaders who come to rape, torture, and pillage your people? Once you read about what happens to the areas that Russia gains control over, the systematic rape & torture that ALWAYS follows… it makes things a bit easier to understand. You see a Russian with thoughts and feelings, I see a threat to innocent lives.


KelvinsFalcoIsBad

Lmao, you can acknowledge the sad state of afairs and have general empathy for other humans and still be aware that they are still hard choices to have to be made.  "Send not to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee"


MarsOptimusMaximus

The average Russian supports the war. So you're wrong.


PlayGameWinPrizeLoL

Russian soldier pillages a family in a small town and murders the inhabitants. Poor victim (the Russian solder) :( :( :( :(


KingKoopasErectPenis

Yeah, I actually think there is more PTSD with drone pilots. If it's hand to hand or close combat, i think that your mind might be able to cope with the "It's either me or them" situation.


doneski

I was in a Scout Sniper section, during our deployments we took plenty of lives from upto 1000 meters, called in precision ordinance on clusters of enemies, and so much more. When you kill the enemy, you know they are bad and you have a reason, it's a good feeling knowing you eliminated a threat that would be a possible death or injury to our fellow Soldiers. But, as you get older you tend to realize that they are likely just people, too. I don't regret anything, I know those I gave un-healthcare to are better off dead. It's them or you. As for the Ukrainians, they are defending their homeland, they know that this body count is keeping them from murdering their fellow countrymen. Why not celebrate?


Shadowdragon409

"unhealthcare" haha


doneski

I stole it from The Fat Electrician on YouTube, his military history is great. Fun to watch. I ignore his leaning politics.


McFlyWithFries

I understand the situation, in the moment is them or you but can you elaborate on why they would be better off dead?


JLSaun

I believe he meant our side is better off if they are dead


doneski

Correct. I fought for my friends and my country, especially my friends in the moment.


Spiritual_Form5578

I wouldnt say no emotions . He literally said hes high on adrenaline. That is a lot of emotions.


Adrtbugfuunn

If you watch the video, he says that outside of service he has nightmares because of this. Iron heart on battle, human in life


corpdorp

Great discussion Dan Carlin always brings up about PTSD. Compare this warfare to ancient era where you had to stare into eyes of a man while you stabbed them to death but they did not have many written records of ptsd (obviously they didn't call it that at the time).


tarlton

FWIW, it was common enough that it shows up in medieval stories and epics; it's not called the same thing, as you noted, but it's a recurring sort of story element (warrior stumbles away from a battlefield and lives in the woods with the beasts because he can't stand to go back to normal life, for instance) that suggests that like a lot of other myth elements, the story is taking a familiar thing and making an archetype out of it.


LitRonSwanson

Kamikaze *drone* **really** doesn't carry the same weight as it did with its original definition.


ChiefValour

It's the drone part isn't it.


jashels

This feels Cyberpunk as shit. Like, set aside from this specific conflict, this is the future of warfare. Casual lean back, wires connected into goggles, man-bun, hit off a vape, just fucking surreal peek into the future of how cheap your life will be.


Zaptruder

Don't worry, this will soon be a thing of the past. They'll on board the AI in the next gen or two of drones, and it'll just be able to do this shit without an operator. Will that cause more other problems? of course. has that ever stopped them? nope!


RobertMurz

Sure, Israel already lets AI pick targets to kill with the only human check being if the target is male or female according to reports. Multiple civilian casualties per kill are acceptable according to the algorithm up to hundreds for top members of Hamas. 


enkidomark

Kid's going to be a pile of PTSD when this shit is over. Hope they get quality treatment later.


dartagnan101010

Perhaps… I wonder if it different watching from a screen. You scan you target area, find a target, hit the target…and black screen. You never see the aftermath


Jedimaster996

You can see the human being he's flying into on the screen. He's identified the person and likely sees the reaction on said person's face right before detonating. Even larger drones such as MQ-9's have pilots with their share of PTSD because they still see the aftermath; they see everything that happened up until the point of contact, and everything afterwards as well to confirm casualties/surrounding circumstances. It's not always the blood & guts that haunt people's dreams, it's often the psychological fact that you'd taken another person's life, another person who might have been you under slightly different circumstances, or possibly could be you. Or that the person had a family like you do, children at home who call him 'Papa' and are anxiously waiting for him to return home. You don't reflect on these things after you pull the trigger, they come to you in your thoughts later on after the adrenaline's worn-off and you have more time with just you and your brain laying up late at night in bed.


HashnaFennec

He’s flying with FPV goggles too. I used to fly micro drones FPV and when your in the zone it feels less like your looking at a screen and more like your in the cockpit. I’d imagine FPV bombing like this would fuck you up more, especially with not having the closure to know if they died.


Omnichromic

They utilize drone swarms. There's another drone nearby, probably a quadcopter, that was tasked with finding the guy and watching the impact. They need to watch it so they can determine whether or not to send another one.


DaddoAntifa

it probably doesn't matter much man. no matter how much he is right for doing so, he's taken a life.


bannanass49

In the video he says that he knows that the PTSD will catch up to him but that it is something for after the war. Now he just does what he needs to do to get the Russians out.


Bleyck

Suicide drones from this war gave me a new fear I didnt had


vincilsstreams

Welcome to the Middle East the last 25 years. Wether it's UAV or drones, a sunny day is a deadly day.


IsshuRouge

This reminded me of Metal Gear Solid 2 when Snake/Pliskin is talking about VR training. He mentions that that's how they want you to think of war: as a game. I had to look up the dialogue: "That's the way they want you to think, to remove you from the fear that goes with battle situations. War as a video game -- what better way to raise the ultimate soldier?" I'm not saying or trying to insinuate that this exactly applies to the video clip, just simply the video made me think about this scene


RoyalCities

Clip pulled from this article https://www.scrippsnews.com/world/europe/ace-ukrainian-fpv-drone-pilot-darwin-shows-war-s-explosive-evolution


Thucydides_Rex

A lot of misconceptions here. In the entire video, he states he would be in his third year of medical school, meaning he dropped out to serve. I don't know any medical students who like to cause harm. When I was in Eastern Ukraine and talked to the soldiers who could speak English, they all told me how helpless they felt. Almost all don't want this war. They want to live their lives like before when they had dreams. None of them do now. They all know they will die defending Ukraine. After I witnessed my first kill in Iraq, we all had fake beers and toasted the shooter. The shame, pain and guilt all came later. There is no time for that in war. For those still reading, (drone pilots) "Around 46%–48% of them suffered from significant psychiatric symptoms which were severe enough to affect their job performance or family life." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8611566/


H0l0duke

I know even less medical students who like to endure that their friends are killed, people driven from their land, children abducted etc. It is what it is. From his point of view he's doing his part in protecting his people from getting killed by killing the invaders first. Just by being able to contribute to that can be a huge factor in preventing ptsd. Because ptsd is a lot about feeling helpless.


mr_snuggels

>After I witnessed my first kill in Iraq, we all had fake beers and toasted the shooter. The shame, pain and guilt all came later. There is no time for that in war. Difference is, in Iraq you where the ones invading. These guys are just defending their country, not sure if there will the same amount if guilt and shame associated with that.


Thucydides_Rex

You're right. That's why I spent 5 months in Eastern Donestk front (it nearly bankrupted me) trying to right my wrongs with my skills in medicine. I was kid in Iraq and in Ukraine I became a man. But trust, most have guilt from surviving when their buddies do not. I have that in spades from both wars. True, they don't probably have the shame tho.


inquisitive_guy_0_1

Of course they don't want this war. It's asinine to even imply that they would. They've been invaded and bombed relentlessly for essentially no fucking reason. Their neighboring country is doing everything they can do to wipe their country, history, and heritage off the map. I can't believe anyone could sincerely believe that the Ukrainians want this war.


Thucydides_Rex

You'd be surprised the level of disinformation in certain circles. I'm just trying to spread awareness from my own experiences over there and talking to many war-weary Ukrainians. Героям слава!


Fearless_Face3968

I remember watching this on YouTube, when asked what he’d be doing if the war wasn’t going on, he mentioned he’d be finishing med school or something along those lines


Stronsky

I'll say this much, there's never been a better time in history to be a kamikaze pilot.


upstairs3031

Humans worst enemy: Humans


Glozzas

Welcome to the future!


empire299

Enders game


jarsoffarts

Better than a 12 gauge with a bayonet in a trench knocking heads off, as far as sleep goes. Russia can leave anytime, fuck em glory to Ukraine


slowwolfcat

so the drone explodes upon hitting the target ? so one drone for one killing eh


mikulashev

Other types of artillery costs tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per shot. So a few hundred bucks drone is incredibly cheap in military scale. This is the first large scale conflicts where this type of warfare is wildly used. In the future without question this will be the major way of destroying people and equipment. Militaries already pouring insane investment in drone and anti-dron tech. Its a fucking scary way to die. And btw the requirements for using this is probably about a minimum wage salary and a serious mental illness...


BosonCollider

It will also probably lead to full auto shotguns going from niche to standard issue for all squads


mikulashev

Ive seen soldiers in Ukraine already useing buckshot on the field against incoming drones. So you are probably right...


Smkweedevrydy

This mission seemed intimate… they were just cleaning up one guy who got away☹️


adrasx

Somewhere here was lately a video of a russian soldier in big trouble getting scared like crazy whenever he hears a whoozing sound.


tintedhokage

The laugh. Wonder if he just treats this like a video game and distances himself from the reality.


Siempie_85

It's a coping mechanism


Atopaz05

This entire thread really shows how biased redditors are. If this was a russian killing a ukrainian this comment would’ve been downvoted to oblivion. I’m not saying that humor isn’t a coping mechanism btw, it most certainly is.


filterless

Considering what Russia has done to Ukraine I don’t begrudge him that laugh one damn bit.


yohohoanabottleofrum

Yeah, people forget that war crimes happen irl too. War does that no matter what. We can become desensitized to anything, unfortunately.


mournthewolf

The best soldiers have always been the ones who can distance themselves from reality. That is what makes them good soldiers. Also what can really fuck a person up over time.


Coggs362

Consider possible friends and family members he has lost. In his shoes, I doubt I would give much concern for eliminating brain-damaged murderers, rapists and pedophiles. I feel a little guilt when I collect dead mice from my traps. If I was Ukrainian and killing Russian troops? Yeah, the idea of guilt seems preposterous.


R1ppedWarrior

They asked him this in the full video and he said it's not like a video game for him.


Scarlet_Addict

I mean think about it if you were doing this all day, soldiers' humour is very well known for being dark and even disturbing to those that haven't served, when you see death or the potential to die day in and out you would stop caring about it or be driven insane.


Ninsha

War is Hell


Dr_PaulProteus

Hawkeye: War isn’t Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse. Father Mulcahy: How do you figure that, Hawkeye? Hawkeye: Easy, Father. Tell me, who goes to Hell? Father Mulcahy: Um, sinners, I believe. Hawkeye: Exactly. There are no innocent bystanders in Hell, but war is chock full of them – little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for a few of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander.


[deleted]

Everyone was expecting Japan to be full cyberpunk first but it ended up being Ukraine out of need. This fascinating.


LinkParticular4261

Any Cyberpunk fans think he looks like a Netrunner?


PRSHZ

It’s true what was said in the movie Stealth, “war has become a video game”


martymcflown

I’m surprised they showed his face on camera. Drone pilots will be targets for many years for both sides even after the war.


Kang-Hi

I think we are not fully aware how this war is a prelude to a total revolution in war tactics. Future wars will be massively populated by air, land and sea drones (both autonomous and human-driven), dominating all the war field. All enemy positions will be known by UAVs and satellite vigilance. A low-cost drone will be able to take over multi-million aircrafts or tanks. A few guys in a cave will be able to manage and pilot swarms of drones covering large areas, creating a continuous menace. Electronic counters will be the only options for defenders. So crazy...


iSteve

It's not Kamikaze if he doesn't die.


analpinestar

Ukraine has hunter seekers


turbocool_inc

.. so what exactly happened here?


OneRedLight

A drone pilot helps a Russian soldier go to sleep (forever.)


AmbivalentFanatic

Slava Ukraini!


NewsGood

I hate posts that show people killing each other.


Bocifer1

Scary shit.   It’s literally only a matter of time before we put “AI” in charge and release a swarm of these - or one is released against us.   We are speed running to a sci fi apocalypse; and it seems like there’s no stopping the inevitable now 


GammaDealer

Now this is the cyberpunk dystopia I was expecting, but I'm still awed to see it


Cadejo123

all good they are in a war so i understand, but the laugh makes me puke ngl


ATypicaLegend

Coping mechanism


Mental_Word7079

Reminded me of the movie Ender's Game


anthro28

While this is cool, it's terrifying as fuck. It's only a matter if time before this gets so cheap, and the knowledge so widespread, that it comes to american streets. 


PnutWarrior

The PTSD from this would be awful. You hear the drone propeller whining sound and just lose it.


Ouchmyfunnybone

This is where American tax dollars are going.