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A video was recently released at: https://smotrim.ru/video/2905123
This Russian-language video gives previously unseen insights into the current state of the Russian military drone program.
They’ve built an ecosystem of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that span from hand-sized copters to glider-type drones with 500 km ranges. At one end, you’ll find small, nearly disposable FPV quadcopters rigged as kamikazes, assembled from scavenged parts. At the other end, advanced fixed-wing models integrate high-end computing, thermal and night-vision cameras, and elaborate guidance systems. In between is a wide variety of multirotor and hybrid designs. The Russians, as well as the Ukrainians, are constantly testing new concepts at the front, learning from failures, and pushing rapid redesign cycles.
From Salvage to Serial Production: Russian operators and volunteers frequently salvage crashed drones—enemy or their own—and reassemble them into something mission-ready. They mix parts from multiple damaged drones to form a functional unit, replacing costly batteries with cells stripped from household appliances or electric scooters. The result: steady flows of improvised platforms ready for immediate redeployment. This ground-level manufacturing culture ensures a reliable supply of cheap, expendable UAVs that can be risked on dangerous missions. Meanwhile, larger workshops and design bureaus across Russia produce new models in bulk — thousands per month — constantly incorporating incremental improvements. The combination of cottage-industry adaptation and organized mass production gives them both innovation speed and scale.
Technical Advancements: While early Russian UAV efforts focused on basic artillery spotting and rudimentary reconnaissance, by mid-2022 a surge in small FPV strike drones—fast, nimble kamikaze quads armed with explosives—had already reshaped the tactical environment. These small craft, guided by compact cameras, slipped through the narrow confines of urban alleys or trench lines and delivered point-blank attacks at just a few hundred meters. Yet this was only the beginning of Russia’s UAV evolution. Anticipating adversaries’ increasing reliance on electronic warfare (EW) to jam conventional radio-commanded drones, Russian engineers took a bold leap: fiber-optic tethering.
How Fiber-Optic Tethers Nullify EW:
Standard EW tactics rely on detecting and jamming radio frequency signals between a drone and its operator. But fiber-optic drones sidestep this vulnerability. Instead of transmitting commands wirelessly, the drone drags a spool of ultra-thin fiber-optic cable behind it along the ground. This physical link carries control signals and video feed as pure light pulses, unaffected by RF jamming. With no electromagnetic emissions for EW detectors to lock onto, standard countermeasures—like broad-spectrum jammers or directional RF interference—lose their bite. The fiber line delivers a stable, high-bandwidth connection immune to the static and distortion that plague radio links under EW pressure.
Flight Characteristics Under Fiber Control:
These fiber-tethered drones often operate at extremely low altitudes — 30 to 40 centimeters above the ground — taking advantage of terrain masking. Flying this low is typically impossible for radio-linked drones because of signal occlusion and the need to maintain a line-of-sight comms path. But with fiber optics, there’s no need for line-of-sight radio contact. The operator can pilot the drone under wires, through drainage ditches, or skimming roads and field edges. This stealthy approach places the drone below radar or IR search patterns designed to detect typical aerial profiles. The drone can travel along a predetermined ground route, feeding back stable, high-quality visuals that let the operator precisely navigate complex obstacles.
Data Stability and High Bandwidth:
Fiber optics aren’t just jam-proof; they also handle large data rates. Operators can transmit full-motion video, high-resolution imagery, or even sensor fusion data through the cable. This opens up new capabilities like integrating advanced sensors, thermal imagers, or even machine vision modules that identify targets automatically. Without worrying about dropped frames or intermittent control signals, the operator gains a reliable means to guide the drone into exact positions—be it under a parked tank, behind a bunker, or over a hidden supply stash.
Operational and Strategic Implications:
The introduction of fiber-optic drones challenges adversaries to adapt yet again. Forces that invested heavily in electronic jamming gear now face a system that circumvents their primary defense. And, indeed, these drones were used in Kursk. The Ukrainian side brought super-EW assets, but were completely surprised by the fiber optic drones that managed to get through. Now it has become apparent that drone defense requires new solutions. Perhaps adversaries will try physical cable interception — hard to do at night, especially under small arms or artillery fire — or employ more elaborate terrain denial. But these are cumbersome responses. Fiber-optic drones also alter how drones approach targets: instead of popping up overhead and risking detection, they slink in at ground-level, concealed by folds in the terrain or vegetation. This could shift defensive postures, forcing enemies to consider ground-level threats that are neither man nor conventional machine.
R&D Momentum and Integration:
Russia’s willingness to experiment with fiber optics reflects a larger trend: the accelerated R&D cycle is pushing drones to handle more specialized missions and survive in harsher ECM environments. The ability to control a drone with zero radio footprint not only negates the EW arms race but also frees designers to incorporate more complex onboard computing. With a rock-solid link, they can expand AI-driven features—like target recognition or collision avoidance—and trust that the operator maintains complete control even in dense jamming zones.
Which brings us to another key development: AI-enhanced guidance and target recognition. Some Russian drones leverage neural networks to identify targets — whether a tank, a pickup truck, or a bunker — and adapt their approach path. This technology, coupled with IR or thermal sensors, makes nighttime operations and low-visibility engagements more precise. Drone designers also explore modularity: a single platform can handle reconnaissance today and become a bomb carrier tomorrow. Heavy-lift quads deliver RPGs from the sky, while fixed-wing “Krechet”-type drones glide silently at long range, performing deep reconnaissance or surprise strikes.
Overcoming EW and Communication Challenges in Radio-Operated Drones: Even in standard drones, yesterday’s enemy counters — jamming the radio link — are being nullified. Russians introduce multi-channel control links that switch automatically to cleaner frequencies. Additionally, improved on-board computing allows semi-autonomous or waypoint navigation, so a drone can still complete its mission even if the operator’s link is interrupted temporarily.
Diverse Mission Profiles: It’s not just about direct strikes. Drones carry out remote mining operations, dropping clusters of mines deep in enemy supply routes to deny movement. They function as communications relays, bridging gaps when line-of-sight radios fail. Cargo drones resupply isolated squads, sparing human couriers the risk of enemy fire. Some drones use nets or mechanical arms to capture intact enemy UAVs, providing critical intelligence on enemy tech and tactics. Others target enemy UAVs midair, establishing a drone-versus-drone battlefield dynamic. By employing drones as “motherships” that release smaller sub-drones, or using them as weather scouts to gather meteorological data for better artillery accuracy, the Russians consistently expand their UAV doctrine.
Integrating Old and New: Another noteworthy tactic involves integrating classic firepower with fixed-wing drones. Though hard to control, those drones can operate for extended periods of time and might have AI-guided targeting. The glider can circle overhead, waiting for the right moment to drop or fire a mortar or grenade onto an enemy vehicle or entrenched position. Such improvised methods, though crude on the surface, exhibit a problem-solving ethos: If classic FPVs won’t work, use low-energy frequency-hopping gliders instead. It sounds absurd, but it’s practical, cheap, and deadly.
Logistics and Upgrades: At any given time, hundreds of drones sit on shelves waiting for deployment. Every few weeks or months, a new batch arrives with improved motors, cameras, or communication boards. There’s a cycle: test on the battlefield, note shortcomings, refine in workshops, redeploy improved versions. 3D printing streamlines the making of custom parts—grips, payload hooks, or launch rails—for specific missions. The Russians feed field data back to designers, ensuring that each upgrade addresses actual front-line needs rather than theoretical improvements. This integrated feedback loop leads to drones evolving rapidly, leaving adversaries struggling to predict the next variant’s capabilities.
Psychological and Strategic Effects: For guerrilla or light infantry forces observing these developments, the lessons are clear. The Russians view drones not as a novelty but as a central, evolving combat arm. Each advancement forces the enemy to invest time and resources in countermeasures — advanced jammers, overhead net launchers, dedicated counter-UAV units — just to keep up. The psychological effect on enemy ground troops is profound: supply convoys fear silent fixed-wing drones, frontline squads worry about FPV kamikazes darting over trenches, and command posts dread stealthy, fiber-optic drones creeping in at knee height.
Russian drone employment today is a demonstration of adaptive, technology-driven warfare. By blending large-scale engineering with grassroots tinkering, they field a diversified UAV arsenal that’s constantly improving in resilience, autonomy, and lethality. Understanding these developments is critical for any force facing them. Conventional tactics and predictable EW measures won’t suffice: One must anticipate a Russian drone threat that is relentless in experimenting, innovating, and integrating the newest breakthroughs into live operations.
