Ukrainian Drone Takes Out Rare Russian Mobile Surveillance System—Video

New footage shared by Ukraine's military shows the moment its drone targeted a Russian Murom-P surveillance system as Kyiv pushes its advantage in unmanned warfare.

In the clip posted online by Ukraine's State Border Service on Wednesday, a Ukrainian drone zeroes in on what looks to be the Russian surveillance system with a mast extending 17 feet into the sky over Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region. The unmanned aerial vehicle then crashes directly into the cameras of the system, before the feed cuts off.

Newsweek could not independently verify the details of this clip, including the location and time of filming. The Russian Defense Ministry has been contacted for comment.

The Murom system is a mobile video surveillance and thermal imaging system, which is touted by Russian defense exporter, Rosoboronexport, as a quickly deployed, long-range and 24/7 system for maintaining secure borders.

It can provide "real-time 24/7 situation awareness on demand," able to detect humans at a distance of up to nearly 33,000 feet with a video camera, according to Rosoboronexport. The system's thermal imaging can detect a human being at a distance of about 13,000 feet, the exporter said, and a vehicle at up to nearly 26,000 feet.

The Murom-P version of the system was designed specifically for Russia's State Border forces, according to the manufacturer, Stilsoft. The system is ready to be used within an hour, Stilsoft said in promotional material.

In early May, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said a Ukrainian drone had destroyed a Murom-P system in the southern Kherson region, which had allowed Moscow's forces to see enemy troop movements at all time. "Now the so-called Eye of Mordor is destroyed," he added in reference to J.R.R. Tolkien's creation of the all-seeing evil power of Sauron in the fictional Middle Earth of The Lord of the Rings.

Drones have played a prominent role across many parts of Ukraine's ongoing war against Russia, from surveillance to guiding artillery strikes and being used as "kamikaze" unmanned vehicles.

Fedorov, who is spearheading Kyiv's investment in drone technology, told Newsweek earlier in August the drones' "results are truly impressive."

"With a few thousand dollars' worth of drones, they destroy millions in Russian hardware," he said.

"Ukraine is on its way to become a world leader in drones production," he continued.

"I don't think that there is any doubt that Ukraine is winning the drone conflict," U.K.-based drone expert, Steve Wright, told Newsweek earlier this month. However, some experts warn Russia is quickly "catching up" with the strides Ukraine has made in unmanned aerial warfare.