Russia sets new record for FPV drone use in Ukraine despite Chinese export restrictions

Military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko reported this on his Telegram channel.

The scale of Russia’s FPV drone operations has increased dramatically compared to the same period in 2024—by more than five to six times. Despite China’s announced restrictions on exporting dual-use goods, they have had little impact. A significant portion of the FPV drones used by Russian troops still comes from China, either as ready-made products or as components assembled in Russia, sometimes under domestic branding.

Preliminary analysis suggests that Russia’s FPV drone use in March is likely to match or even exceed February’s record levels. However, there is a slight decline in the use of Lancet loitering munitions and drones like Molniya-2 and Privet-82 since the beginning of March. Kovalenko warns that this trend may be temporary, making it too early to draw conclusions about a broader shift in Russia’s drone warfare tactics.

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