For those not in the know, Eastern European newspapers often refer to the targets of Russian mafia hits as “businessmen” because they don’t want to risk becoming identified as businessmen themselves.

According to the portal Rumafia, the hit took place in Transbaikalia, where a businessman was allegedly forced to sleep with the fishes using an FPV drone loaded with explosives. T

This incident would demonstrate that the Russian mafia is beginning to adopt tactics refined in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, where FPV drones have played a crucial role.

Russian coppers have announced plans to involve local veterans with drone-operating experience gained from military action in Ukraine to see if they can counter the mafia drone operators.

First gaining prominence in Ukraine in late 2022 and early 2023, FPV (first-person view) drones were initially employed to devastating effect, destroying significant amounts of Russian military geear. However, as both Ukrainian and Russian forces adapted, the effectiveness of these drones declined due to the use of electronic countermeasures, including signal jammers and satellite navigation disruptors.

This led to a so-called "frequency war," with both sides engaging in rapid technological advancements to outmanoeuvre one another. While early FPV drones relied on traditional radio signals for control, more recent developments have made them resistant to jamming by incorporating wired connections via extended optical fibres, making them even more challenging to counter.

The incident in Transbaikalia may be the first of its kind but unlikely to be the last. As drone technology continues to advance and become more accessible, authorities will need to develop new strategies to counter its potential misuse by criminal groups.