A háború keselyűperspektívából: ökológiai diskurzusok az orosz–ukrán háború árnyékában
The War from a Vulture’s Perspective: Ecological Discourses in the Shadow of the Russian–Ukrainian War

Summary/Abstract: The basis of my paper stems from three videos that imitate ecological language and the style of nature documentary voiceovers to deliver pro-Ukrainian and anti-Russian messages. I describe the verbal commentary in these videos as the voice of a „Ukrainianized Attenborough,” analyzing it as a form of anthropocentric biologization distinct from hate speech, using relevant aspects of Attenborough’s renowned films (Part 1). In the subsequent sections, I shift focus from ecological allegories in language to imagery, specifically to a particular type of shot. Before analyzing footage captured by reconnaissance drones — what I term the „vulture perspective” — I explore the strategic role of these weapons in modern warfare. I examine the characteristics that make drones indispensable on contemporary battlefields and their widespread use in the Russian-Ukrainian war (Part 2). I then consider the „vulture perspective” as a metaphor for a nature-technologized gaze, drawing parallels between the physiological and behavioral traits of vultures and the technical parameters and tactical functions of drones (mass-produced quadcopters) (Part 3). In defining the „vulture perspective,” I argue that this form of gaze does not grant access to a post-human, zoomorphic world, unlike nature films shot with cameras mounted on birds. Due to the absence of a connection between animal and technological gazes, the vulture perspective fails to provide the immersive experience offered by another popular contemporary mode of war representation — the affective, somatic footage from body cameras. Through dramatic footage from the Russian-Ukrainian war, I further explore the differences between the embodied gaze and the detached, controlling gaze of the vulture perspective. I characterize the latter as fostering a sense of invulnerability and dominance in the viewer (Part 4).

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