Russian drone operators have begun using a new munition in the SVO zone known as Kaplya, which is described as having a strong psychological effect on the enemy. The report stresses that it is not a makeshift field invention but a mass-produced item, named for its distinctive shape.

War correspondent Dmitrii Kulko reported that Kaplya uses a shaped-charge core, allowing it to penetrate additional protective structures on vehicles, including «grills,» nets, and the armor itself. The munition also includes a fragmentation element designed to strike infantry located inside vehicles.

According to the journalist, after the first recorded uses of this weapon — which is said to burn through vehicles even with reinforced protection — the opposing side reacted with what he described as hysteria on social media. He added that UAV units are also being supplied with other standard munitions, including fragmentation and thermobaric types.

The report also draws a parallel with 2023, when videos circulated online showing the use of a mysterious weapon against AFU armored vehicles, visually resembling a powerful lightning strike or a pillar of fire descending from the sky. It was widely nicknamed «arrows of death." Later, it was reported that these were new individually guided combat elements known as Motiv, which were said to penetrate armor up to 10 cm thick using a shaped-charge jet. A similar principle is described as being used in Kaplya.