view from the battlefield. new video of ukrainian forces using cutting edge foreign made drones to fight russian troops. this video is from a kamikaze drone as it is known, a switch blade, armed with powerful explosives, moments before it smashes into a russian tank with, it appears, russian soldiers on the top of the tank at the time. cnn s melissa bell is in kyiv this morning. melissa, ukraine says this video illustrates how western weapons are helping in its fight against russia. reporter: that s right. extraordinary video posted by the ukrainian army and a facebook post that shows just those extraordinary pictures of what looks like a kamikaze drone hitting that russian tank. just a bit of background on the kamikaze drones, we know the united states provided 100 switch blade drones to the ukrainian armed forces. the advantages they have on the
long as ukraine can keep these jaws from clamping shut here, then they have the chance to go on the counter offensive, clear the russians out here and start thinking strategically about maybe attacking russian bases in crimea. john: part of the problem, though, with that, ukraine is apparently beginning to run out of some weapons that have been so effective like the turkish drones. right, the drones, but we have also given them drones to help augment that. switch blade, phantom ghosts, and others from european partners, they really proved that at the bridge. john: huge miscalculation by vladimir putin trying to take the whole country at once, fell on its face. the other part of the equation blowing up in his face, you ve got finland first, and now sweden saying you know what, we are going to become a part of nato and here is vladimir putin who wanted to break up nato,
potentially being injured there and lots killed. it s causing the russians to have to move back north and essentially have to defend their rear lines. that is a setback for them. that s the lie blue area around kharkiv. and in and around luhansk. there are many individuals in the ukrainian military who use the new artillery pieces and you re starting to see the switch blade drones deployed for the first time. that is going to be devastating for the russians. in the south, those troops in mariupol for the russians are being deployed northern for donetsk. while going there, they need a
funneling more money for military drones in ukraine. the u.s. defense department will spend close to $18 million to spend more switch blade drones to kyiv. they are known as kamikaze drones because they can deliver bombs on impact. well, we can now show you how crucial drones have become for both sides in ukraine. we are about to see really a ground battle reported in real time by a russian military drone. the footage was released by pro kremlin media outlets. moscow is trying show it s not falling behind in the use of drone technology. reporter: this is drone warfare as russia wants you to see it. moscow s troops hunting down ukrainian defenders. backed by surveillance from the skies. we sat down with the military
this our switch blade 300. reporter: are being sent to ukraine. he understand what the people in the ukraine are doing. this is our part to help. these weapons, they are weapons but what they are designed to do is stop tanks, stop artillery. stop what is going on over there. reporter: in the nose are cameras which scan the battle field sending video back to an operating controlling the switchblade from a tablet. once it finds the target the operator has the ability to essential dive bomb into the target and take out the target. one way mission. a one way mission. reporter: kamikaze. exactly. reporter: this man runs the company that makes the switchblade at a secure location he asked us not to reveal. these crates are ready to be loaded with switchblades for ukraine. we ve been in touch with the ukrainian military and they could use thousands of them. the type of conflict they re engaged with today really is almost ideal for the switchblade capability. he s talking s