On the battlefield in Ukraine, isolated cases of the use of FPV drones using fiber optic cables by Russian forces were recorded. These drones are resistant to electronic warfare (EW) systems, opening a new chapter in the so-called “drone war” between Ukraine and Russia.

 

The first confirmation that Russia uses such drones appeared back in March, when Ukrainian forces managed to seize one of the prototypes. However, just this month, videos began to appear purporting to show fiber-optic cable systems being used in combat.

 

Some of these videos showing attacks by these drones on Ukrainian forces have been publicly released by intelligence accounts on social media.

 

United24, a platform dedicated to raising funds for the development of drones, said that fiber-optic guided drones were spotted in Kursk. This event was the first known use of such a weapon in combat.

 

One of the main features of such drones is their resistance to EW and radio signal jamming, as well as stable communication with the operator even in difficult conditions. However, it remains unclear whether such drones will be put into mass production, although it is known that some foreign companies have previously experimented with the development of similar drones equipped with cable reels.