A drone operators of the 5th Assault Brigade hit an enemy hideout in a pipe of the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas water utility using an FPV drone with fiber-optic control.

The brigade posted the video on its Facebook page.

According to reports, the pipe was used as an enemy infantry amassing point. The attack took place in the Kramatorsk sector. The footage shows a drone flying into a hole in the pipe wall, successfully passing through it and exploding.

Thanks to the fiber-optic control system, the operator did not lose connection with the drone even in a closed space and received a clear image without interference.

“We used a drone with fiber optics. We periodically work through these pipes, as the enemy is accumulating there. They also have an evacuation point for the wounded there. These pipes are leaky, but then they go underground. Thanks to FPV drones on fiber optics, which allows us not to lose communication, we can reach the enemy there,” explained Ivan Kyryliv, commander of the brigade’s reconnaissance battalion, in an interview with ArmyTV.

It is worth reminding that this is not the first time the enemy has used the tactic of accumulating and moving infantry through pipes.

During the Kursk campaign, in early March, Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups moved through a branch of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod gas pipeline to gain a foothold on the outskirts of the town of Sudzha.

One of the saboteur groups was detected leaving the pipeline, and was attacked with artillery and HIMARS cluster missiles.

The same tactic was used during the battle for Avdiivka.

Development of fiber-optic modules in Ukraine

In early January, it was reported that the cost of fiber-optic drones had dropped significantly due to increased production, and prices could fall even further for Ukrainian companies.

Currently, the main supplier of fiber-optic cable reels for drones is China, which supplies both Russian and Ukrainian FPV copter manufacturers.

Ukraine already has factories capable of spooling finished fiber optics, which is critical for reliability and reducing the risk of cable breakage during flight.