Russian fiber-optic drones, which are almost immune to electronic jamming, have reached Kharkiv for the first time since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, raising alarm among Ukrainian officials about a new technological threat to the country’s second-largest city.
Russian FPV drones guided by fiber‑optic cable were used to hit the northern outskirts of Kharkiv’s Kyivskyi district around 3 p.m. on Feb. 25, with the drone striking a tree and causing no reported casualties, according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
Defense Ministry adviser Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov called the incident a “real threat,” noting that traditional electronic warfare and jamming systems cannot counter fiber‑optic drones because they do not rely on radio links.
Local authorities say anti‑drone netting can protect some key roads and infrastructure but stress that fully covering a city of more than one million residents is impossible, meaning defenses will focus on priority sites.
Military analysts say fiber‑optic drones still pose a limited threat to Kharkiv compared with missiles and glide bombs, but warn that their growing range and previous battlefield impact suggest similar long‑range urban strikes could become more frequent as the war continues.
