A video recorded in the Russian village of Rakitnoye appears to show a helicopter deploying heat traps onto a residential area.

The footage recorded on May 22 by a local resident who wished to remain anonymous shows the aircraft dropping what's reported to be thermal decoys.

The video has caused a stir online with locals questioning the reasoning.

One netizen said: "That is a Russian helicopter drops traps on its own private sector so that an anti-aircraft missile does not fly into it but into civilians?"

Another commented: "If a heat gun falls on a house from such a height, then there is a high probability of a fire, I think."

"They don't care about civilians," said another.

The decoys are used to divert the targeting of anti-aircraft missiles away from aircraft.

Russian investigators have launched a terrorism investigation after they claimed Ukrainian armed groups launched a cross-border attack in the Belgorod region.

In a puzzling event on May 22, 2023, residents of Rakitnoye, a small village located in the Belgorod Oblast of Russia, witnessed a Russian helicopter dropping thermal decoys above their residential areas.

These thermal decoys, small cylinders containing flammable substances, are typically employed to divert the targeting of anti-aircraft missiles away from aircraft or helicopters, guiding the missile's head towards the decoys instead.

The purpose behind such an occurrence at such a high altitude within Russian territory remains unknown.

The video was filmed by a girl who lives in the house of this village. She asked not to be named.

Usually this was not observed anywhere, it caused a wide reaction in social networks.

Here are some examples:

@letters2navalny
that is, a Russian helicopter drops traps on its own private sector so that an anti-aircraft missile does not fly into it, but into civilians? how it does not look like the army of the Russian Federation, they take care of their own and civilians so much, gentlemen.

@Vladka27629111
If a heat gun falls on a house from such a height, then there is a high probability of a fire, I think.

@klopojed
They drop traps to avoid getting hit by MANPADS, which the RDK / Legion definitely have. They don't care about civilians