Russia’s fiber-optic drones now capable of striking targets 50 kilometers away
Illustrative photo: Russian fiber-optic drones have increased their flight range (armyinform.com.ua)
Russia has begun using fiber-optic drones in its war against Ukraine, capable of covering distances of up to 50 km, Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated in a conversation with Business Insider.
He emphasized that enemy drones, controlled via fiber-optic cables and protected against interference, "have a real impact on the logistics" of Ukrainian defenders.
"Fiber-optic drones have shown us that drones immune to electronic warfare are, indeed, a very considerable threat to logistics and personnel," he noted.
Fedorov explained that Ukrainian forces are already working to counter the new Russian drones. In particular, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are developing and testing various methods across several brigades.
Fiber-optic drones
The aggressor country is actively using drones equipped with fiber-optic communication in the war, especially amid the widespread use of electronic warfare measures.
These drones are controlled and transmit images via an ultra-thin fiber-optic cable that unspools from a reel during flight. In conventional drones, this is done through a radio channel.
Ukrainian defenders destroyed a storage and maintenance site for Russian Orion strike-reconnaissance drones. The facility was located in temporarily occupied Crimea, near the settlement of Kirovske.
Earlier, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal promised that Ukraine would soon reach a level of 1,000 interceptor drones per day. He emphasized that this is Ukraine’s response to nightly attacks by Russian invaders.
