©Lena Tolmacheva via Unsplash
Russia is increasingly using small drones equipped with fiber-optic cables to strike Ukrainian power stations and thus bypass air defenses. After all, these drones are immune to interference from jammers, as long as the thin cable is not cut or gets snagged.
According to open-source analysis, confirmed by Reuters and investigated by the London-based Center for Information Resilience, these attacks are primarily taking place in the northern border region of Sumy. Russia is said to first use a drone to create an opening in protective nets or along concrete barriers, and then send a second drone through the resulting gap. The target is often the autotransformer, an expensive and crucial component of the high-voltage grid. This tactic gives Russia a significant cost advantage. Such a fiber-optic drone can cost about 2,000 euros, while an autotransformer in a 330-kilovolt substation is estimated to be worth 3.5 million euros. By taking out that single component, the entire distribution substation can be knocked out, leaving large areas without power.
Researchers at CIR say they have verified at least four attacks on heavily secured 330-kilovolt substations and at least four more on smaller 110-kilovolt substations. According to the analysis, the attacks now extend 16 to 26 kilometers behind the front lines, demonstrating how far small FPV drones can travel.
Ukraine has long been trying to protect its energy infrastructure with concrete shelters and anti-drone nets around transformers. However, these defenses appear to be less effective against the new fiber-optic drones than against conventional drones controlled via radio signals. The Sumy region, in particular, has been hit hard. The security situation there has deteriorated further in recent months, while, according to Ukrainian officials, Russia is also attempting to disconnect border regions from the national power grid.
According to Kyiv, the goal remains clear: to put pressure on civilians by causing power outages. Russia denies targeting civilians and says its attacks are aimed at military targets.
©Lena Tolmacheva via Unsplash - illustrative image