1 day ago
Last Updated:May 29, 2025, 15:53 IST
Russia's fibre optic drones in eastern Ukraine have made traditional countermeasures ineffective, intensifying the psychological toll on Ukrainian troops.
Immune to jamming, these drones maintain real-time control via fibre optic cables.
A silent, untraceable drone is redefining the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, where a recent Russian strike on the small city of Rodinske has left destruction, dread, and disorientation in its wake. In what Ukrainian officials describe as a terrifying evolution in modern warfare, Russia has unleashed a new kind of weapon, one that cannot be jammed, cannot be stopped, and now haunts the skies: fibre optic drones.
The attack began with a 250kg bomb that tore through the main building in Rodinske, reducing nearby homes to rubble and cloaking the city in smoke. The explosion was followed by Russian drones hovering above the wreckage, relaying information, scanning for survivors, and striking again.
Ukrainian defence sources confirmed that Russia has started deploying fibre optic-linked drones that have been tethered to their operators through spools of fibre optic cable and remain immune to jamming technologies that would typically disable or misguide enemy UAVs. However, one of the drones was downed after Ukrainian forces opened fire.
“It doesn’t blink, it doesn’t stop, and we can’t block it," one Ukrainian soldier told local media.
Unlike conventional drones that operate wirelessly via radio signals, fibre optic drones maintain a direct connection through cable, making them not only unhackable but also capable of real-time control with pinpoint precision. Their design allows them to fly low and slow, navigate tight spaces, and even enter buildings or bunkers, turning them into ideal tools for both surveillance and precision strikes.
However, these tethered drones are vulnerable to physical entanglements like trees, buildings, or power lines that can interfere with the cable, potentially grounding the device. Still, Russian operators seem willing to trade mobility for reliability, especially in close-quarters surveillance and urban warfare.
The psychological impact on Ukrainian troops has been immediate and profound. According to military reports, the average length of front-line deployment has more than quadrupled. Where soldiers once rotated every few days, many now remain in place for a month or longer, afraid that movement could invite a drone strike.
Adding to the intensity is Russia’s shift in battlefield tactics. Instead of massed offensives, small, stealthy Russian units now conduct surprise raids, sometimes on motorcycles, sometimes on foot, often under the cover of night. Traditional frontlines have all but vanished, replaced by a volatile no-man’s land where either side could strike at any moment.
Location :Ukraine
First Published:News world Unjammable: How Russia's Fibre Optic Drones Are Changing The War In Ukraine | Explained
