Ukraine has detected a Russian FPV (first-person-view) drone for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion, which managed to reach Kharkiv via a fiber-optic cable, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office said on Feb. 25.
Fiber-optic drones, which are not affected by electronic warfare, were first deployed on the Ukrainian battlefield in 2024, with their use significantly expanding on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides in 2025.
FPV drones, which normally fly up to 10-20 kilometers (6-12 miles), can extend their range by tens of kilometers when linked to fiber-optic cables. Kharkiv, home to roughly 1.3 million people, lies just over 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian-occupied territories.
The drone hit a tree around 3 p.m. local time in Kyivskyi district on Feb. 25. No casualties were reported, the regional prosecutor's office said.
The regional prosecutor's office has launched a pre-trial investigation into the drone attack on Kharkiv.
Countermeasures against fiber-optic drones remain limited, relying mostly on physical destruction or obstruction. In cities such as Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the country's southeast and south, anti-drone netting has been installed above certain streets and key transport routes to protect vehicles and critical infrastructure from aerial attacks.
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