As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, Kyiv’s soldiers have resorted to a unique strategy after exhausting their weapons in the fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military.
A Ukrainian assault unit recently reported using beehives against Russian troops in the Donetsk region.
In a post on Telegram, the 225th Separate Assault Regiment explained that while clearing a building near Pokrovsk, its soldiers discovered a basement occupied by Russian forces. With no grenades remaining, they turned to an unconventional tactic – dropping two beehives into the enemy’s position.
Footage shared by the unit shows two Ukrainian soldiers carrying a wooden beehive across a battle-scarred landscape before dropping it into a basement believed to be occupied by Russian troops. As seen in the video, the enemy forces did not re-emerge after the hive was thrown.
The infantrymen, during the clearing operation, threw two beehives into the basement with the Russians when they ran out of grenades. pic.twitter.com/isZ9cLQhca
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) March 3, 2025
The regiment’s post acknowledged the unconventional nature of the attack, saying: “Perhaps this does not meet NATO standards.”
The remark appeared to reference recent diplomatic tensions following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Oval Office meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, during which Zelenskyy was criticized for his casual attire.
The post continued, “But it’s 2025, and Russia is still trying to destroy us, sparing neither the lives of its own citizens nor its resources – and it certainly has no intention of stopping.”
The Ukrainian military has earned a reputation for battlefield improvisation, pioneering the use of drones in combat. However, this appears to be the first recorded instance of Ukrainian troops weaponizing insects against Russian forces.
While unusual in modern warfare, beehives have been used in the past as makeshift weapons.
Ancient armies, including the Romans and Dacians, launched hives at enemy formations to sow chaos.
During the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart is said to have used beehives as projectile weapons against Saracen forces. Even in naval battles, pirates in the Mediterranean once deployed hives to force enemy crews to abandon their ships.
Besides the use of beehives, Ukrainian forces have also experimented with 3D-printed munitions and naval drones. The conflict has also forced Russian forces to adapt, with reports indicating that captured Russian tanks contain semiconductors salvaged from household appliances like dishwashers and refrigerators.
