Desperate Measures: Putin Turns to Deploying Remote-Controlled Tanks as Russia Runs Low on Troops

Desperate and running out of soldiers, Vladimir Putin is now testing remote-controlled drone Z-tanks to operate Russian armored vehicles.

Footage obtained by The Sun shows a Russian soldier using remote controls to maneuver a war tank equipped with a First-Person View (FPV) drone.

This cutting-edge technology enables tanks to operate without a crew, attacking enemies with just the touch of a few buttons, The Sun reported.

The Russian army is increasingly testing these unmanned tanks and could soon deploy them to the frontlines. This shift underscores the heavy toll on Russian forces in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, leaving Putin with a shortage of human crews for the vehicles of war.

Since the invasion began, Russia has lost thousands of tanks and has resorted to using outdated Soviet-era models, according to Forbes.

Ukraine expert Oleksandr Kovalenko highlighted the acute shortage of trained personnel to operate these tanks, exacerbating the problem for Putin. The move towards "humanless warfare" is also driven by the severe impact of Ukrainian FPV drone strikes.

A video on the Ukrainian Telegram channel NMFTE shows a drone striking a Russian T-90M tank, causing the troops to abandon it in panic. Tanks are particularly vulnerable due to their ammunition storage arrangement, which can lead to rapid explosions.

Recently, footage has captured Ukrainian kamikaze drones destroying Russian tanks, illustrating Kyiv's determination to strike back. Another video showed a Russian "indestructible" turtle tank exploding in flames after its crew left the hatch open.

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Putin's reliance on drone-fitted tanks aims to minimize further human losses. With 1,270 soldiers lost on a recent Sunday and 1,290 the following day, Russia has experienced some of its bloodiest days in the conflict. The rise in fatalities follows Western approval for Ukraine to launch attacks within Russia.

Putin has acknowledged the heavy losses, admitting thousands of Russian soldiers die in Ukraine each month. Ukraine has been using US-made ATACMS rockets to target Russian-occupied Luhansk, with missiles reaching targets hundreds of miles away in just five minutes.

Additionally, the US has supplied HIMARS missiles, which have destroyed key Russian military targets, including S300 launchers in Kharkiv. In response, Putin has threatened to deploy long-range missiles through his allies to counter Western support for Ukraine.