Ukraine leads the way in unmanned vehicle innovation, but the invaders are advancing with weapons that have been key to their recapture of territory in Kursk.
In the border area between the Sumy and Kursk provinces, between Ukraine and Russia, the tops of many trees are covered with giant cobwebs of fine cables, similar to fishing lines. One of the bloodiest battles of the war is taking place in this area, and it is where Russia has most forcefully introduced a technology that has revolutionized military tactics in 2025: the massive use of bomb-carrying drones connected to the pilot by a fiber-optic cable.
This innovation prevents the aircraft’s connection from being disrupted by what is known as “electronic warfare,” that is, by disruptive radio frequency signals. On both sides, many vehicles and defense barriers incorporate these antennas, which emit radio frequency signals that cut off the remote connection between the pilot and the drone. Fiber-optics are immune to this.
Its operation is ingenious and simple: the drone has a built-in reel with a cable, which can be between three and 15 miles long. If, during flight, the cable becomes entangled in an obstacle, such as trees, the vehicle continues flying because the reel keeps releasing it, and it remains connected to the pilot.
