Drone warfare in Ukraine: revolutionary Drone Line project, fiber-optic challenges, and military exports
Four stories of the week: Feb. 5 - Feb. 11, 2025
Let me start this newsletter with a personal reflection. When I was in Ukraine during the full-scale invasion, visiting my parents, relatives, and friends, I, of course, experienced numerous air raid alerts. Yet, not once did I personally witness or hear a drone or missile. My parents, however, have seen these weapons countless times—missiles flying toward Kyiv, Shahed drones (one even fell and detonated in their neighborhood). For them, it has become almost routine. And when something becomes routine, I suppose, fear fades, and people go on with their lives under the constant threat of missiles and drones, simply hoping that fate won’t place them in their path.
This brings me to the latest data published by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), which reports that in January 2025, short-range drones caused more casualties than any other weapon in Ukraine. In the Ukrainian-controlled Kherson region, drones were responsible for 70% of all civilian casualties. While various technologies exist to jam or destroy these drones, there is no way to fully guarantee civilian safety.
Even though I try to set emotions aside while working on these newsletters, I can’t help but feel deeply connected to the ongoing human suffering in Ukraine.
Thank you for reading my newsletter and supporting my work! In this edition, I’m bringing you not three but four main stories, along with additional key developments in drone warfare. We’ll dive into Ukraine’s groundbreaking Drone Line project, the latest advancements in fiber-optic drone technology on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides and the prospects of Ukraine opening its defense exports in 2025.
Ukraine launches the revolutionary Drone Line project
Ukrainian Defence Minister Umerov announced the launch of a revolutionary project – the Drone Line – aimed at significantly strengthening Ukraine’s defense forces brigades. Within the project, infantry and UAVs will be integrated into a "single strike system".
According to Umerov, this is the new standard of war, where unmanned systems become a key element of combat, helping Ukrainian defenders carry out the most complex missions.
The Drone Line will scale up the most effective drone systems within the Ground Forces and the State Border Guard Service. The first phase of the project will cover five elite regiments and brigades.
This project will enable Ukrainian forces to create kill zones 10 to 15 kilometers deep, provide constant aerial support and infantry cover, and detect and destroy Russian forces before they can approach Ukrainian positions. According to the analysis by the Institute for the Study of War, Drone Line likely formalizes and provides additional support to ongoing Ukrainian efforts to expand drone units and increase their coordination with regiments and brigades.
Ukraine's approach to integrating drone operations with ground forces differs from Russia's push for centralization. While Ukraine focuses on seamless coordination between drones and ground units, Russia aims to strengthen its drone capabilities by tightening state control over operators and developers, further embedding them within its military bureaucracy.
Fiber-optic drones: key developments on both sides
The use of fiber-optic technology by Russian forces poses a serious challenge for Ukrainian troops. Lately, one of Ukraine’s military officers stated that Russian fiber-optic drones can now fly distances of 30 kilometers or more. Reportedly, such a drone struck a Ukrainian armored vehicle after flying into a hangar near Vovchansk, located about 30 kilometers from the frontline.