New drone threats: Fibre optic cables entangle Ukraine's frontlines
The Military News UA profile on X shared a recording from the frontlines in Ukraine, showing strange nets that soldiers walk on, which can become tangled around their feet. This issue results from the evolving use of drones in wartime. New constructions of this type often utilize fibre optic cables.
The war in Ukraine has left a significant amount of unexploded ordnance, mines, and various threats in both Ukrainian and Russian territories, which will likely persist for years. Strange nets are increasingly appearing on the frontlines, posing a risk, including to helicopters if the nets are in trees.
Fibre optic cables on the frontline
To clarify, drones controlled via deployed fibre optics have gained popularity in recent months of the conflict. This trend is primarily due to both sides developing increasingly effective tools to jam drones. The solution to this problem is indeed fibre optics, which are entirely resistant to electronic warfare systems.
It's important to note their drawback, which is limited range. These types of constructions must carry extra weight in the form of fibre optic cables, allowing them to reach distances of approximately 10 to 20 kilometres. Moreover, drones equipped with fibre optics can unintentionally aid adversaries in tracing the drone's launch site, as the cable leads back to the operator's equipment.
Although many fibre optic cables from drones lie on the ground—as shown in a recently published recording from the front—they can also be found in trees, stretching over long distances. In such situations, the cables pose a direct threat, including to helicopters, which, when flying at low altitudes, can snag their rotors on the fibre optics, potentially leading to a disaster.
