A Ukrainian military serviceman pointed out the shortcomings of fiber-optic drones

A Ukrainian military serviceman pointed out the shortcomings of fiber-optic drones

Ukrainian military uses fiber-optic drones on the frontlines just like the Russians, but not as extensively due to their significant drawbacks.

This was stated in an interview with Ukrainian Radio by Andriy Otchenash, the commander of the "Heavenly Punishment" unmanned aerial systems team of the 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade "Rubizh" of the National Guard of Ukraine.

According to the military, a clear major drawback of fiber-optic drones is that they are less maneuverable and can fly a shorter distance. Additionally, not every pilot of a conventional FPV drone can operate an FPV drone on fiber optics, as it requires much more careful handling.

"They have a large number of drawbacks: at the very least, in such beautiful weather as it is now, fiber reflections can be seen and, accordingly, the take-off location of the pilots can be determined. Of course, Russian pilots suffer from this, and they really don’t like it," the military added.

He mentioned that currently, the Defence Forces of Ukraine are using low-frequency drones as an alternative, which are not easily intercepted by electronic warfare. However, fiber-optic drones are also being used.

Meanwhile, Otchenash noted that Ukrainians have already managed to penetrate into enemy territory using fiber optics to a depth of 30-50 km.

"I won’t tell how it was done, but such distances give hope that, even if the enemy has a large number of fiber-optic drones, we will be able to use our drones much more effectively and deeper in the enemy’s rear. We will destroy their logistics, and currently, logistics is the foundation; without logistics, they cannot do anything," he emphasized.