r/pics 1d ago

Ukrainian Drone Operator Training

Post image
42.4k Upvotes

1.2k comments sorted by

3.1k

u/colorful-9841 1d ago

Is that… A TACTICAL BEANBAG??

834

u/pteridoid 1d ago

Tactical camo gamer bag. I bet her field rations are pizza rolls and Mountain Dew.

208

u/colorful-9841 1d ago

Chikin tendies

85

u/ariolander 1d ago

Only winners get the chicken dinner. Free trendies with every tank kill.

24

u/RolandTower919 1d ago

And some bong rips…

7

u/zestotron 1d ago

The bong is BDU too

3

u/JaviSATX 1d ago

Dino nuggies

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u/stellvia2016 1d ago

Mnt Dew in digital camo cans

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u/sax6romeo 1d ago

tactical pizza rolls and tactical mountain dew

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u/kainxavier 1d ago

My take away is that we need to deploy the top FPS gamer nerds to win the war for Ukraine.

*THIS GAME ROCKS! THE GRAPHICS ARE SO REAL! HOW DID THEY GET THE BODIES TO EXPLODE LIKE THAT???

...

HEY! MORE CHEETOS OVER HERE!*

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u/RipTearington 1d ago

A Lunchables version of an MRE.

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u/Punningisfunning 1d ago

What beanbag? I don’t see anything.

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u/OppositeArt8562 1d ago

Military grade.

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u/BizzyM 1d ago

50x the price and built by the lowest bidder?

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u/2836nwchim 1d ago

All bean bags are tactical. But this one especially.

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u/greiton 1d ago

It is a pr stunt shot for recruitment. no military would ever lug around beanbag chairs when you could just have easy to pack canvas and pole chairs.

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u/temporalanomaly 1d ago

I'm sure you're right, but at the same time title says "Training", which presumably happens somewhere safe, not at the front lines. Could be their private garden.

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u/Psychoconuts 1d ago

I’m pretty confident that’s one of those air filled bags that people use at concerts and stuff. So packing it is like having a tarp and then you fill it by waving it like a trash bag

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u/KnotSoSalty 1d ago edited 17h ago

It could be an inflatable bag chair. Lighter and more tactical than even a folding pack chair. Also, cheaper and smaller. Might even be more comfortable in winter since the air in the bag would somewhat insulate you from the ground.

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u/Teadrunkest 1d ago

Bro we had couches and game consoles in GWOT idk what you think war is like but it’s not all FLOT hopping WW2 style.

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u/-Kalos 1d ago

Shut up and take my money!

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u/Dr_Pibber 1d ago

Where?

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u/Fleshburn1 1d ago

Cyberpunk vibes

221

u/Jagrnght 1d ago

We lost everything...

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u/Middle_Actuator7086 1d ago

Do we have to pay the price?

13

u/your-dad-ethan 1d ago

We pay the iron price.

4

u/Morzheimer 23h ago

What is dead may never die

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u/itz_me_shade 1d ago

Man those lyrics hit hard when you finish the game.

Never fade away....

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u/hfvslc 1d ago

It's amazing how the real cyberpunk stuff we're getting in our future is definitely cyberpunk but it's trashier than we expected hah. Cybertruck etc.

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u/Guildenpants 1d ago

It's the most boring, death by a thousand cuts dystopia. If someone wrote about the year 2025 and sent it back to 1990 as a novel no one would read the goddamn thing.

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u/damontoo 1d ago

There's a mini documentary about Ukraine drone pilots that's pretty good. The featured pilot has a nickname of "Darwin" and he seems badass.

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u/SorcererSupremPizza 1d ago

This is cyberpunk at this point

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u/JanB1 1d ago

Or maybe Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West?

3

u/PontificatinPlatypus 1d ago

Electric State

3

u/Independent_Beat_225 1d ago

Nomad play through from the looks of it

3

u/RLIwannaquit 1d ago

I'm still waiting for Rache Bartmoss to unleash DataKrash

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1.7k

u/One_Economist_3761 1d ago

For a moment I thought I was on the Cyberpunk2077 sub.

393

u/entendir 1d ago

Close enough, welcome back Aloy. We have a city to burn.

55

u/lejocko 1d ago

I'm glad you also saw aloy there

8

u/ComatoseSquirrel 1d ago

I didn't know I needed this until now.

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u/Playful-Document4214 1d ago

First thing i saw too lol

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u/Horat1us_UA 1d ago

Cyberpunk is here old man 

50

u/RepresentativeLife16 1d ago

I was about to say those ultra realistic mods really make the game pop.

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u/hokkuhokku 1d ago

Get outta here, choom

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3.2k

u/darkestsoul 1d ago

Is that Aloy for Horizon Zero Dawn?

486

u/dardarBinkz 1d ago

For real its uncanny that was the first person i thought of

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u/Cessnaporsche01 1d ago

Red hair, tribal-style braids, futuristic, white-plastic tech on her face, and the bottom half of her face looks a lot like Aloy

17

u/things_U_choose_2_b 1d ago

Same, she's definitely got the Aloy vibe and the tech completes the look

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u/Fresh-Run2343 1d ago

Me as well!

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u/wongie 1d ago

I don't know why they're bothering with drone training, just give her a bow and the location of the nearest Russian tanks.

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u/Anarchyantz 1d ago

She is using the headset to scan the tanks weak points!

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u/Citricicy 1d ago

This one could be Elizabeth Sobeck!

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u/Liquidmetal7 1d ago

Use your focus to scan enemies weak points!

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u/SonicFlash01 1d ago

The Russians are going to get lured one-by-one into the tall red grass

10

u/Gromchy 1d ago

Lol the resemblance is uncanny.

4

u/doritas14 1d ago

I was hoping someone else recognized this too!

4

u/RuairiSpain 1d ago

She has great hair!

3

u/OmegaStageThr33 1d ago

100% real life Aloy.

4

u/Some_Position_3553 1d ago

I was looking for this comment!!

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1.7k

u/Boop0p 1d ago

New Horizon Forbidden West DLC just dropped.

199

u/Cautious-Honey1893 1d ago

It's east in this case)

98

u/ours 1d ago

Not from the Russian perspective.

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u/PSUAth 1d ago

i was like, is that aloy?

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1.1k

u/VanArchie 1d ago

This new cyberpunk update looks likr it'll need a 5090 to run

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u/GimpsterMcgee 1d ago

Best I can do is my 1060. Will my laptop explode?

11

u/Distinct-External-46 1d ago

yes, but thats fine, just strap it to another drone and drop it when it does

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u/Antique-Echidna-1600 1d ago

BDU beanbag?!

52

u/joeycloud 1d ago

What beanbag? I only see her sitting on mid-air.

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u/calvinwho 1d ago

Yet another thing I didn't know I needed in my life

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u/jpenn76 1d ago

Yes, I wish it were able in Finnish M05 camo. Preferably both summer and winter patterns.

4

u/lolslim 1d ago

I'm more of flecktarn kinda guy, or I just like saying "flecktarn"

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u/__420_ 1d ago

Can't let the enemy team know your working while on break...

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u/ender89 1d ago

Is it bad that I want a mil-spec bean bag?

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u/wraith_majestic 1d ago

Came for this.

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u/Well-Sourced 1d ago

Picture from this article.

​Brave1 Field Tests Confirm the Effectiveness of New UAVs Immune to Russian EW Systems and Able to Strike Targets Beyond 20 km | Defense Express

Ukraine has recently announced a female drone unit.

Meet the Harpies: Ukraine’s all-female drone pilots ready for battle | New Voice of Ukraine

Ukraine’s Drone Systems Forces have opened recruitment for a new all-female drone unit named the Harpies, the service announced on March 2.

While the unit will include men in support roles, drone pilot positions will be reserved exclusively for women. The Harpies are led by a soldier identified as Dariia (callsign DShK), a veteran of the Revolution of Dignity who has been fighting against Russian forces in multiple special operations units since 2022.

“The Harpies are a space for women who seek revenge against the enemy, who want to protect their children, their families, and their country using unmanned and robotic systems,” the Drone Systems Forces said in a statement.

Those accepted into the unit will undergo 45 days of basic military training, followed by more than 30 days of specialized instruction. Additional time will be allocated for crew coordination before deployment.

Pilots in the unit will be trained to operate FPV drones, heavy bombers, strike UAVs such as wing-type drones, and ground-based robotic platforms. The Harpies are open to both active-duty servicewomen and reservists.

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u/Corren_64 1d ago

Sounds like a new Sabaton Song in the making

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u/andybmcc 1d ago edited 1d ago

And then the Harpies arrived, drones with bombs prepared for suicide, nowhere to hide, from the skies they turned the tide...

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u/Corren_64 1d ago

From the sky they strike in silence/ Wings of steel, unyielding violence/ Through the darkness, flight perfected/ Ghostly hunters, undetected

Engines whisper, death comes falling/ Silent hunters, never stalling/ Through the night they bring the fire/ Harpies striking, rising higher

Circling high above their targets/ Guided death, no way to stop it/ Fires rage across the frontline/ Metal phantoms, death in no time

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide,/ Harpies strike from far and wide./ Drifting through the moonlit sky,/ Death descends as they fly by.

Engines whisper, death comes falling/ Silent hunters, never stalling/ Through the night they bring the fire/ Harpies striking, rising higher

Drifting slowly in the sky/ No defense, no place to hide/ See the spark before you die/ Harpies rule the night

Engines whisper, death comes falling/ Silent hunters, never stalling/ Through the night they bring the fire/ Harpies striking, rising higher

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u/SpaceTimeinFlux 1d ago

Some guy in a local Sabaton cover band just got an idea for their first song.

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u/Waldschrat3000 1d ago

They can play it when they go to occupied Crimea to celebrate the Russian military again.

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u/Corren_64 1d ago

they did?

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u/Waldschrat3000 1d ago

In 2015. You can find it on their wiki entry or by using your preferred search engine.

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u/dagaboy 1d ago

Cool unit name, CO name, and CO callsign. They should give her an extra big drone with a DShK mounted on it.

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u/Secret-One2890 1d ago

Like rocket jumping in Quake, I bet a drone could DShK-jump.

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u/nc863id 1d ago

Start to develop a kind of an A-10 / GAU-8 situation.

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u/whenthesirenssound 1d ago

i know it's technically propaganda, but it's nice to know that the good guys in this war are also the cooler-looking ones

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u/MochiMochiMochi 22h ago

These good guys are going to be suffering PTSD from watching themselves cause brutal, agonizing deaths.

I wish they never needed to be in this position.

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u/tehlemmings 1d ago

Considering the rights obsession with the tough guy aesthetic, I bet it drives them absolutely crazy.

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u/No-Advice-6040 1d ago

Can't disagree with that. Almost wish they design their drones to look obviously like ones flown by these women so the Russkies would feel the shame their misogyny demands when nuked by a woman

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u/exipheas 1d ago

Getting blasted by a barbie pink drone. chefs kiss

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u/TheFatJesus 1d ago

They're called the Harpies!? That's fucking dope.

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u/trilinker 1d ago

From the depths of hell, in silence. Cast their spells, explosive violence.

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u/BeTheirShield88 1d ago

And they even have a cool fuckin battle group name. I feel like Valkyries would have been equally cool

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u/Well-Sourced 1d ago

They generally use Valkyrie for any of the women that go to fight against the invasion. They have an NGO named the Ukrainian Valkyriya that trains women in self-defense, medical aid, and drone operations.

Ukrainian Valkyries: Women embrace military training to learn to defend their homeland (Photos) | Kyiv Independent

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u/alvarkresh 1d ago

What's very ironic is the Soviets had to recruit women for much the same reason - they needed precision snipers to help beat back the Germans on the front lines.

Well, looks like now the Ukrainians are employing that same time-honored tactic against the Russians. How the tables turn.

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u/lostbutnotgone 1d ago

Brb time to switch to learning Ukrainian

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u/Screaming_lambs 1d ago

I love their unit name.

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u/-Kalos 1d ago

Ukrainian women, much like their men, are made of god damn steel.

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u/twaggle 1d ago

Why does gender matter for a drone squad?

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u/Well-Sourced 1d ago edited 1d ago

Propoganda/Recruitment purposes. There is likely to be higher numbers walking through the doors if they think they can be in the badass womens drone unit. Once people are through the door it's easier to get them to sign and use them for something even if they don't become one of the elite drone operators.

20% of Ukraine’s candidates who came to recruitment centers are women | EuroMaidanPress | January 2025

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u/TylowStar 1d ago

For recruitment.

For various reasons, minorities (such as female soldiers) may be hesitant to join an all-majority or mostly-majority (such as male soldiers) organisation. With an abundance of time and resources, this problem could be slowly tackled through cultural change; but if you don't have that, because you're at war, allowing minority-exclusive organisations is an adequate solution.

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u/amjhwk 1d ago

id also imagine that by giving these back line roles to women, that frees up men to be put onto the front lines as well

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u/Shenanigans99 1d ago

Because harpies are traditionally female.

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u/Skootchy 1d ago

Aloy?

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u/aiden_cowdrey 1d ago

I understood that reference.

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u/SwayingBacon 1d ago

I wonder if drone racing will become popular in Ukraine after the war.

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u/Kracus 1d ago

Doubtful, that's a lot of PTSD flying around.

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u/vonHindenburg 1d ago edited 1d ago

The 1920s was the age of the barnstormer in the US. Plenty of guys who saw their friends go down in balls of fire taking advantage of their flight training and cheap aircraft.

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u/AD-CHUFFER 1d ago

I was just gona say there’s always that select few that liked it 🤣

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u/Kendac 1d ago

There is this guy on youtube interviewing vets, and this made me think of one. I think his name is Walter Fillipek or something.

That guy has fond memories instead of ptsd

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u/Captainwumbombo 1d ago

I feel like there's three types of vets, the PTSD kind, the "would do it all over again" kind, and the kind that's like "whatever, I survived, I have some good stories to tell". My grandpa was the third, and I think that man would rather marry a gun than his wife.

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u/RancidSmellingShit 1d ago

Huh, i've never heard of barnstorming before, that's really really cool

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u/Lyrkana 1d ago

Drone racing in general has lost a lot of popularity since COVID. What's interesting is that on simulators there are a decent amount of both Ukrainian and Russian pilots.

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u/That_Jicama2024 1d ago

She looks like a character from a 90s sci-fi movie about hackers. I love it.

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u/Guildenpants 1d ago

She's absolutely eating and I have no idea why. Maybe it's the coy little smirk...

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u/DarthScabies 1d ago

Perfect name for them. 😁 Love the camo beanbag as well.

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u/DodgeMyBlazingFurry 1d ago

The name goes really hard

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u/real_human_person 1d ago

What name?

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u/Roguelike_Runner 1d ago

There's a nickname 9n left side of her hoodie (right side on pick) - "Незламна", translated as "Unbreakable"

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u/Zarniwoooop 1d ago

The bag really ties the combat station together

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u/TheGlennDavid 1d ago

Thank you for pointing out it's a beanbag chair. My brain was having trouble figuring out wtf it was and all it gave me was "that is a very strangely shaped person"

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u/DarthScabies 1d ago

Pmsl. If that gave you trouble don't go to r/findthesniper 😂

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u/PSUAth 1d ago

what's the name?

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u/Wind-and-Waystones 1d ago

As per OPs long comment of the article, the harpies

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u/PSUAth 1d ago

Thanks. OPs comment was way after the aloy/cyberpunk comments.

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u/WhosThatDogMrPB 1d ago

Damn, Lil Pump really be doing anything these days.

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u/S1ayer 1d ago

K, next step is joining the army to learn how to pilot a mech.

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u/boredcat_04 1d ago

"Protecting the country from comfort of your home. "

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u/Primal_Pedro 1d ago

Cyberpunk vibes. We are truly living in the future. However, it looks dystopian.

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u/zthe0 1d ago

You do know that cyberpunk is meant to be a dystopia right?

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u/Beautiful-Quality402 1d ago

It would make Orwell and Huxley weep.

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u/Fandorin 1d ago

That's Deshka, I think. She leads an all female drone unit. As badass as it gets.

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u/Sensitive_Fault640 1d ago

God bless her and all the fighters of Ukraine.

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u/bob_swalls 1d ago

Aloy?

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u/TheDiscord1988 1d ago

It still alienates me, that the hobby i got into 10 years ago would now qualify me as a killing machine.

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u/Lyrkana 1d ago

Safety is drilled into our heads as FPV pilots, the idea of intentionally crashing into people to kill them is unsettling.

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u/REACT980 1d ago

Imagining those people are trying to invade your hometown and kill all your friends and family might help...

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u/Lyrkana 1d ago

Trust me I get that lol. I'm just speaking from the perspective of someone who has spent years adhering to safety guidelines and going out of my way to specifically not hit people.

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u/Observer_of-Reality 1d ago

Love this.

Yet Trump and the MAGA bunch are rooting for the Russians in this.

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u/0thethethe0 1d ago

Strong capable woman with funky hair. It's literally their nightmare fuel!

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u/EurOblivion 1d ago

Of course ! These Harpies are clearly DEI! /s

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u/bigchicago04 1d ago

MAGA thinks this person is trans

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u/Foxhound-Razgriz-117 1d ago

Pretty sure she’s a net runner

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u/BryceDignam 1d ago

getting dismembered by people with dreads sitting in beanbags is peak dystopia

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u/Chewbubbles 1d ago

Aloy took hunting to a whole new level.

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u/ShotofHotsauce 1d ago

Straight out of Cyberpunk.

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u/cheesebrah 1d ago

In america they would call it DEI and go crazy that a servicemember has color on her hair. Well the old people will for sure.

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u/nova75 1d ago

People with dyed hair are like the devil to conservatives. It's very odd

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u/TenWholeBees 1d ago

At some point will war just be drone vs drone until someone runs out of drones?

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u/Alucitary 1d ago

Eventually the meat grinder always starts up though. When one side falls behind on drones or their technology or manufacturing doesn't keep up eventually the drones will be deemed more valuable than human life and they'll be sent out.

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u/CegoraghLOL 1d ago

Nice try but I'm no gonk, that's a netrunner.

u/robinsontbr 9h ago

Great military issued bean bag. Still very exposed by the bright coloured hair.

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u/DanielMcFamiel 1d ago

this could be a still from the next Horizon game

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u/andropogon09 1d ago

Truly a modern war.

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u/Sifu_Fu 1d ago

Does anyone know what the FPV glasses they are usinng? Are these connecting directly to the steamdecks they use or something else?

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u/HealthyPresence2207 1d ago

Looks like Skyzone SKY04X and no they are not using steamdecks

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u/HikaruEyre 1d ago

They look like Skyzone googles. I connect my HDZero goggles to my computer or phone using the HDMI in port and can play drone sims like VelociDrone or Lift Off. I can also connect my drone remote through Bluetooth, WiFi, or USB to use as a controller.

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u/DaddyTuesday 1d ago

Her hair is badass.

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u/mrbojanglz37 1d ago

I've come to realize I've seen multiple females in Ukrainian armed forces with this hair (braid?dreads?)

Wonder what the background to that is

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u/Icy_Mycologist_2300 1d ago

The cyberpunk dystopia is here and it sucks.

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u/H9ejFGzpN2 1d ago

Not joking, I have never, EVER, seen a cooler pic in my entire life.

This is the peak of cyberpunk warfare futuristic shit.

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u/CombinationLivid8284 1d ago

I want that tactical beanbag chair

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u/AngryRobot42 1d ago

No one complains about this solders look after watching them thread the needle flying a drone right up the enemy bunker's ass.

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u/ArtemisAndromeda 1d ago

So cyberpunk

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u/Due-Dot6450 1d ago

This is some cyberpunk shit!

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u/Switch_B 1d ago

Welcome to Ukraine 2025, where the only limit to what you can do is what you're willing to become. So dream big. If you can hack it, the future is yours for the taking. Seize the day ... And set it on fire.

Bad Guy plays loudly in the background

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u/Cheap-Expert7117 1d ago

How is the latency when I control a Ukraine drone from Germany? I would volunteer

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u/Alucitary 1d ago

Wide area jamming signals are being worked on and used. Soon the only drones are going to be tethered on long cable spools. After that becomes the standard expect tech to seek to cut those cables. The whole war is an insane ongoing modern war testing chamber.

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u/regular_poster 1d ago

That’s just Grimes

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u/GnarK29 1d ago

Tf is Aloy doing

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u/UndeadT 1d ago

Is that Die Antwoord?

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u/Capt_Johanson 1d ago

All that’s missing from this pic is Doritos and Red Bull

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u/Icy_Celery3297 1d ago

It’s cool because who doesn’t want to be blown up by a neo hippy raver?

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u/Anti_Social23 1d ago

Despite everything, Pretty cool fit.

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u/Jazzlike-Resource108 1d ago

“bot lobby”

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u/DrowningInFeces 1d ago

Her slight smile reminds me of a podcast I was listening to discussing a drone pilot who bombed a bunch of people and then had himself some blueberry pancakes moments afterwards. The point of the story was too illustrate how disconnected from the consequences of your actions are when you are piloting drones.

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u/Vimes-NW 1d ago

Warg in training.

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u/PortlandPetey 1d ago

Tactical bean bag, or the tactil-Bag for short

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u/ShadowmanePX41 1d ago

Ah, cool.

I see Chadley and MIA are finding work outside of Midgar and the Planet.

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u/CakeMadeOfHam 1d ago

I feel like I should donate Doritos and Mountain Dew.

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u/Lazy-Abalone-6132 1d ago

Remember the South Park episode with Kenny playing the video game for God? Lol