An increasing number of Ukrainian soldiers are suffering injuries from first-person view drones in the Donetsk region.

Four soldiers injured from fighting in eastern Ukraine were evacuated to a field hospital dozens of kilometres from Pokrovsk — the epicentre of the fighting as Russia moves slowly but steadily.

Medics at field hospitals say they have not seen gunshot wounds for months.

Instead, most injuries now come from first-person-view (FPV) drones — remotely piloted devices loaded with explosives that allow the operator to see the target before striking.

Their widespread use has turned areas up to 20 kilometers from the front line into deadly zones.

In the early months of Russia’s so-called "special military operation," medical evacuation vehicles could approach almost to the front, giving wounded soldiers better chances of survival.

Now, FPV drones have become the most feared weapon on the battlefield — precise and inescapable once they are locked on a target, regardless of a soldier’s combat experience or skills.

They have also reduced survival odds for those already wounded, a critical challenge for Ukraine’s outnumbered and outgunned army.

AP Video by Vasilisa Stepanenko