In January, in an interview with Ukrainian media outlet LB, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, stated Russia and Ukraine use roughly the identical variety of drones on the entrance line, however that Ukraine is simply "catching up" by way of fibre-optic FPV methods, that are largely resistant to digital warfare.
Russia's large-scale adoption of the expertise in 2024 took Ukraine abruptly. To slim the hole, the state has begun backing home builders.
Output has risen sharply over the previous yr. New fashions have entered service and working ranges have elevated. Regardless of this, troops proceed to report shortages and high quality issues.
"Our automobile made three or 4 runs underneath fireplace to ship drones and so they turned out to be faulty", the commander of the Panama Squad crew from the first Separate Territorial Defence Brigade, whose name signal is Mukha (Fly), instructed Ukrainska Pravda. "We hauled them out, swearing, taking dangers, to return again with working ones and it's good it ended with out losses. However it might be unbelievably silly to lose a automobile and, God forbid, folks as a result of somebody completely f***ed up their accountability." The battlefield worth of such drones is simply rising. In a struggle saturated with digital warfare, the flexibility to succeed in a goal with close to certainty with out dropping connection is value its weight in gold.
So why does Ukraine nonetheless battle to supply fibre-optic FPV drones at scale and to a constant normal? To search out out, Ukrainska Pravda spoke to service personnel and producers.
Shortages and high quality points
Serhii Melnyk, head of the data and analytical assist part on the 69th centre, stated fibre-optic drones make up not more than 15% of all drones alongside all the line of contact.
That proportion is way from uniform throughout the entrance line. The proportion of fibre-optic FPV methods varies sharply relying on the depth and character of combating and on how effectively particular person models are equipped.
Russian forces have made explicit positive factors on this area of interest. "It feels as if the Russians have already diminished analogue communications by about 60% and have virtually utterly switched to fibre optics", stated a fibre-optic FPV crew pilot, Maloi (Kiddo).
A often cited instance is the Russian fibre-optic drone Knyaz Vandal. Fitted with day and evening cameras, it could function at ranges of as much as 40 km and is commonly used as a "sitter" for ambushes. Its producer claims Russia produces as many as 50,000 models a month.
And the place does Ukraine stand? Summing up his tenure, Ukraine's former defence minister Denys Shmyhal stated 352,000 fibre-optic FPV drones had been delivered to the armed forces since July 2025. The determine excludes drones equipped by volunteers or obtained by means of the E-baly (E-points) scheme, a digital incentive system that awards models factors for verified destruction of Russian targets, which may then be exchanged for tools akin to drones, digital warfare methods and floor robots.
Ihor "Enei" (Aeneas) Raikov, head of the unmanned methods service of the thirteenth brigade of the Khartiia Nationwide Guard unit stated that the state at present meets as much as a few third of unit demand for fibre-optic drones by means of direct provide. The rest, he stated, comes DOT-Chain and Brave1 Market (a government-subsidised digital market for models to buy the tools they want instantly from producers), the unit's funds or troopers' personal cash.
In most models, the standard working vary for fibre-optic FPV drones is 15 to 25km, although some groups work at considerably longer distances. "We have now gone from 10 to 25km and we at the moment are mastering distances of 400-50 kilometres", stated Enei.
Regardless of greater provides and longer working ranges than firstly of a troublesome 2025, drone availability alongside the entrance stays patchy.
Some servicemen interviewed by Ukrainska Pravda say there may be nonetheless a scarcity of fibre-optic drones that may work reliably on the now normal distances of 15-20 km.
"Fibre optics are critically essential proper now and there are usually not almost sufficient of them. In distinction, Russian provide appears a lot better", says Maksym Buhel, commander of the Boryviter unmanned methods battalion of the ninety fifth Separate Air Assault Brigade.
Amount is simply a part of the issue. High quality additionally stays a serious sticking level. Troops report points with spools, their awkward kind and parts that aren’t match for fight. In apply, the usual of drones obtained typically will depend on how a lot cash a unit can elevate or allocate.
"Regardless of the massive variety of producers and presents, there are few really dependable fibre-optic drones in the marketplace and there may be all the time a queue for them", says Mukha, commander of the Panama Squad crew.
He stated that quick-to-buy choices typically carry out erratically. In consequence, high quality varies sharply from one batch to the following.
Why do high quality issues happen?
From an engineering standpoint, a fibre-optic FPV drone differs little from a radio-controlled one.
"Producing fibre-optic drones is, in a way, easier than radio equivalents. They don’t have radio communication modules, antennas and VTX," says Volodymyr Zinovskyi, CEO of drone producer TAF Industries.
As an alternative of radio communication modules, the drone is fitted with a fibre-optic spool and a media converter, that are instantly linked to the operator's management unit.
Nonetheless, the satan is within the particulars. As one producer of fibre-optic spools, who requested to stay nameless, explains, the principle problem lies within the fibre itself. Not like industrial fibre in a silicone sheath (the sort we see in web cables), drones use "naked fibre". In consequence, essentially the most troublesome stage of manufacturing is winding the spool.
"For those who kink it, wind it erratically or overtighten the fibre on the reel – that's it, you're accomplished", the producer instructed Oboronka.
Not like Russia, which orders pre-wound spools from China and adapts its personal platforms to them, Ukraine has been pressured to grasp the winding expertise just about from scratch.
In response to the supply, most winding machines in Ukraine are home made. Every producer successfully creates its personal normal, which consistently modifications as new drone fashions seem, requiring the frequent recalibration of kit.
One other issue affecting manufacturing velocity and high quality, highlighted by two producers interviewed, is energy and heating outages. The tools and a few supplies are delicate to those disruptions. Even a momentary energy minimize – if an organization has not correctly applied autonomous backup methods – can lead to a complete batch being rejected.
"It's simpler for the Chinese language. They’ve many machines, every tailor-made to a particular mannequin. That's the place their steady mass manufacturing and high quality come from", one other spool producer instructed Oboronka on situation of anonymity.
Along with mastering spool manufacturing, Ukrainian corporations additionally needed to adapt the drones themselves to modifications in weight and centre of gravity brought on by putting in a spool weighing greater than a kilogram. As drone producer Heneral Chereshnia ("Normal Cherry") defined to Oboronka, fibre-optic drones are considerably extra complicated than normal FPV drones. The mixing of the spool requires exact balancing of weight, thrust, energy consumption and the drone's behaviour throughout an assault.
These options required monetary and technological sources that not all producers may afford. In consequence, the market initially cut up into corporations producing drones and spools individually and people producing each. This division led to chaos in provide chains.
"Spools, drones and floor stations had been equipped individually, so every part needed to be assembled by hand", stated Aeneas. "We glued, soldered and improvised, however numerous them crashed for no apparent cause."
Producers managed to streamline manufacturing processes and logistics over time, making it attainable to ship totally built-in drone methods to the troops. Stabilised manufacturing allowed additional improvement of fibre-optic drones, regularly increasing the operational capabilities of Ukraine's defence forces.
In the meantime, in response to troopers interviewed by Oboronka, issues with fibre deployment throughout flight are nonetheless a difficulty. One producer says the one resolution is strict high quality management, each throughout manufacturing and instantly earlier than use.
Can Ukraine meet up with Russia in fibre-optic drones?
Along with fibre deployment points, troopers interviewed by Oboronka more and more level to the shortage of standardisation in floor management stations. Producers design their very own floor stations for particular drones, which are sometimes incompatible with each other. In consequence, models are pressured to function a number of management methods for various drones, complicating logistics and operation.
Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that greater than 30 corporations in Ukraine had been producing fibre-optic drones as of July 2025, though the actual quantity could also be greater. Standardising drones and floor stations would cut back the logistical burden and decrease procurement prices when sourcing methods from completely different producers.
Total, additional improvement of fibre-optic drones will instantly depend upon actual battlefield circumstances. As each troopers and producers word, not each resolution that appears spectacular at exhibitions or shows proves efficient in fight.
"I'd divide the market proper now by two standards: the way it appears and the way it works", stated one producer. "Generally a drone appears like a doll however can't fly for shit. Different instances it appears like a scarecrow however works brilliantly. And there aren't a lot of those that handle each."
Regardless of this, all producers interviewed anticipate additional development in fibre-optic drone procurement. Round 70% of state drone purchases are deliberate to undergo the DOT-Chain Defence system in 2026. This technique won’t solely permit the army to order drones instantly from producers, however may even create circumstances wherein competitors highlights the simplest options.
Producers are already searching for methods to adapt to the brand new market guidelines, searching for to mix elevated manufacturing capability with improved stability and reliability.
Heneral Chereshnia representatives say the army's key calls for are predictable high quality, steady provide and systematic drone integration. Zinovskyi from TAF predicts a rise in flight vary and procurement volumes. The corporate is getting ready to fulfil orders for tens of hundreds of drones monthly, with the potential to scale as much as 100,000 models.
At Ptashka Drones, in the meantime, launching pilot coaching programmes is being thought of as one strategy to cut back the variety of drone losses throughout fight operations.
One other pattern anticipated by the troopers interviewed is elevated flight vary with out including weight. Some Ukrainian producers are already engaged on lowering the burden of fibre-optic spools, permitting drones to hold bigger warheads or extra highly effective batteries. Comparable frameless spools have been noticed in China.
"We're basically going by means of the identical path the Chinese language have already taken", one producer concludes. "The potential is there and what we’d like now’s time and expertise."
Writer: Illia Volynskyi, Oboronka (Ukrainska Pravda)
Translation: Ganna Bryedova and Tetiana Buchkovska
Enhancing: Shoël Stadlen