Russian Soldier’s Last Cigarette Before Death: Captured on Drone in Haunting Final Footage

A Ukrainian drone has captured the haunting final moments of a Russian soldier smoking a cigarette before his demise, sparking widespread attention across military circles.

Chosun Daily reported on Saturday on the footage released from the 54th Mechanized Brigade’s K-2 Battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The footage was released via social media on December 5.

The video shows a wounded Russian soldier who a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone has spotted.

The soldier can be seen gesturing his desire for a smoke. He retrieves a fresh cigarette from a pack in his pocket and tries to light it. His hands visibly shaking from what appears to be a mix of injury and anxiety. After several failed attempts, he manages to light up.

The soldier maintains a vigilant watch on the hovering drone throughout his smoke. As he finishes and reaches for another cigarette, tragedy strikes – a bomb descends upon his position.

The footage concludes with the soldier attempting to take cover, followed by a smoke engulfing his last known location.

The battalion explained in a statement, “Our drone operators monitored the area after repelling an enemy assault and eliminated the remaining hostile forces concealed in the nearby woods. The irony of the warning ‘Smoking kills’ on cigarette packs wasn’t lost on us. For this Russian soldier, death came much swifter than any health warning could have predicted. He exercised his right to a last cigarette.”

In related news, the BBC cited the British Ministry of Defense’s report on Russian casualties reaching a staggering 45,680 last month. This marks the highest monthly toll since the conflict’s onset in February 2022. A particularly deadly day was recorded on November 28 with over 2,000 casualties – the highest single-day figure of the war.