Russian drone headed for Kyiv carried propaganda leaflets with QR code

Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Shahed-type attack drone on the evening of 4 November that was carrying propaganda materials toward Kyiv as well as explosives. The information came from Robert Brovdi, known by the call sign "Magyar", commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), as reported by the outlet Kyiv Independent. The case shows that in its war against Ukraine, Russia is also using drones for information operations.

Where and how the drone was downed

According to Brovdi, the drone was brought down near the combat positions of the USF's 427th Separate Brigade "Rarog". Alongside its warhead, it carried a bundle of leaflets. The commander said the occupiers are now equipping drones not only with explosives but also with "psychological manipulation".

What the leaflets said

The leaflets were written in Ukrainian. They urge people to join a "Ukrainian volunteer brigade" within the Russian armed forces. Brovdi also published a photo of one leaflet, which calls on people to "end the arbitrariness of military recruiters".

Warning about QR codes

The leaflets carry QR codes. The commander urged people not to scan them, saying they may be a trap meant to steal data or infect smartphones with malware. In the published photographs the QR code has been deliberately blurred for security reasons.

In the same post, Brovdi also stated that between 1 and 4 November the Unmanned Systems Forces eliminated 2,630 enemy personnel, according to his figures.