Russia captures Ukraine drone infected with malware, according to video

The malware can reportedly be used to give away information about Russian soldiers if the drone is reused.

During the three years since Russia invaded Ukraine, both countries have relied heavily on drones. These small and nimble machines are used both to spy and attack enemies with only minimal investments while minimizing the risk on the lives of their own soldiers.

Ukraine's deployment of drones has been particularly successful, and is now responsible for 60-70% of damaged and destroyed Russian systems, claims a report by the Royal United Services Institute.

According to a new video posted on Reddit, which appears to be filmed by Russian soldiers, Ukraine now uses drones equipped with malware.

The main purpose of the malware appears to be to destroy the drone so that it can’t be reused by an enemy force, or give away information if the drone is reused.

According to a video, in the basic version, the malware is hidden in the “black box” of the drone, and damages the USB port when connected to a computer.

The malware can also infect the drone’s chip, making it unusable as it blocks any attempts to update or refresh the software.

The third and most advanced version aims to hide from analyzing software to stay undetected. When the drone is sent toward the enemy, it can either hijack the control or provide the enemy with the operator's location.