New drones of the Russian Federation with fiber optics for 50 km appeared on the front: how to fight them - Fedorov
New drones are already affecting Ukrainian logistics, as they cannot be suppressed by means of EW, which previously effectively limited the use of standard FPV systems. The minister said this in an interview with Business Insider. New Russian drones are recorded mainly in Donetsk region, in particular in the Pokrovsk region, where the most intense fighting is going on.
Russian models use coils with a thin fiber optic cable, ensuring stable communication with the operator even in conditions of dense electronic warfare. "Fiber-optic drones have shown us that drones immune to electronic warfare are indeed a very serious threat to logistics and personnel," Fedorov noted. Fiber optic FPV drones were previously considered a niche weapon due to their limited range — 10 to 25 km — and high operational complexity.
However, the range of 50 km indicated by the Ukrainian side significantly exceeds the known capabilities of similar systems. At the same time, as Fedorov noted, these drones have serious drawbacks: in addition to the risk of cable entanglement, the high weight of the coil requires the reduction of the combat part of the drone. In addition, increased weight makes drones less maneuverable, making them more vulnerable targets for small arms.
Fedorov emphasized that Ukraine is developing specialized interceptor drones to neutralize Russian fiber optic UAVs and is even experimenting with cutting fiber optic lines. The minister also said that the emergence of such systems has become a "turning point" and the next phase of the war will be the massive use of autonomous strike drones that use AI algorithms to navigate and destroy targets without the operator's participation.