Ukraine Sends 50-Km Fiber-Optic FPVs Into Russian Rear Storage Sites to Hit Hidden Armor

Ukrainian-made fiber-optic FPV drones with a reported range of up to 50 kilometers have been used to strike Russian armored vehicles, cars, and motorcycles well behind the front line, demonstrating the expanding reach of Ukraine’s cable-controlled drone systems.

According to Militarnyi on August 9, Ukrainian manufacturer Ptashka Drones provided footage showing combat use of its new Ptashka 17-O-50 km platform against Russian equipment.

Video released by the company shows drones approaching camouflaged armored vehicles positioned at storage sites away from the immediate battlefield. Other recorded strikes targeted Russian vehicles and motorcycles traveling along logistics routes.

Ptashka Drones said the system is currently the only codified 17-inch fiber-optic FPV drone in Ukraine with a declared operating range of 50 kilometers, according to Militarnyi.

Unlike conventional FPV drones that depend on radio communications, the Ptashka remains connected to its operator through a physical fiber-optic cable unwound from a spool during flight. This allows commands and video to travel through the cable rather than over a radio link.

The drone carries a 50-kilometer spool of Chinese-made G.657.A2 fiber, with a cable diameter of 0.26 millimeters. It uses digital video transmission and a low-light camera.

According to technical specifications cited by Militarnyi, the drone has a cruising speed of approximately 85 km/h (53 mph) and can reach a maximum speed of 110 km/h (68 mph). Its stated flight endurance is up to 35 minutes.

The switch to digital video is also a development from earlier versions of Ptashka’s long-range fiber-optic drones. The company first reported successful missions at distances of up to 50 kilometers in December 2025, although those aircraft relied on analog cameras with lower image quality.

Earlier, Ukrainian National Guard drone operators from Lasar’s Group destroyed a loaded Russian BM-27 Uragan multiple-launch rocket system in the Novopavlivka sector, striking it before it could reach a firing position. The resulting fire triggered the launcher’s ammunition, sending several rockets firing uncontrollably from the vehicle.

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