Russia prepares for major summer offensive, Ukraine ramps up fiber-optic drone production. Serhiy Zgurets' column

Ukrainian Armed Forces conduct strategic defense operation along the entire front line

Despite the expectations of negotiations in Turkey, with or without a temporary ceasefire, the reality is now focused on the battlefield. The Russian forces are conducting offensives, which is not news, no matter what CNN says. In fact, the Russian occupation army has not stopped its offensive since October 2023. Perhaps this summer, the intensity of the Russian offensive may be somewhat higher than it is now. The Russians continue to try to use their superiority in manpower and equipment. Yesterday, by the way, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff, the occupying Russian army crossed the 970,000 manpower mark.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are conducting a strategic defense operation. The frontline is holding, but in some areas Ukraine's defenses are being pushed. It is worth highlighting the area where the Pokrovsk and Toretsk sectors intersect, which are aimed at Kostiantynivka. Today, DeepState reported that the Russians made advances in Malynivka and near Nova Poltavka. Before that, we talked about Novoolenivka. All these settlements are located on the road to Kostiantynivka from Myrnohrad.

In the Toretsk direction, the Russian troops came close to Romanivka. A pocket is being formed there, where the settlements of Stara Mykolaivka, Hnativka and Zoria are located. 

Ukraine Russia war live map, May 3-10, Photo: Espreso

The Ukrainian military notes that the Russian forces are changing their tactics and efforts. In particular, Yehor Firsov and Oleksandr Solonko describe the situation in detail. Yehor Firsov said that the Russians have made significant progress in the use of drones. Previously, it was a few Russian units, but now it is much more extensive. Firsov said that their sensors detect many more drones in the air. He also says that there are systematic Russian flights at a range of up to 10-15 km, and the enemy is increasing the number of electronic warfare systems.

Oleksandr Solonko, who is an aerial reconnaissance officer with the 441st regiment of unmanned systems Yastruby, reports the same. He also says that the Russians are significantly increasing the range and depth of their own drones. They are trying to replicate the tactics of the Ukrainian Defense Forces by relying on more drones. Solonko emphasizes that we must have weapons capable of destroying the enemy at a depth of up to 50 km.

Ukraine scales up fiber optic drone production

The CEO of drone manufacturer 3Dtech, Oleksii Zhulynskyi, said that a 20 km fiber-optic drone has already passed codification. The company has also tested and launched production of a drone with a range of 25–30 km and is preparing for trials to codify these models.

Oleksii Zhulynskyi noted that the main challenge in producing fiber-optic drones was sourcing components, as fiber-optic cable is not manufactured in Ukraine, and what’s available on the local market isn’t suitable for internet use. The company had to look for suppliers in China and other countries.

There was also a problem with media converters and equipment for winding fiber-optic cable. However, the company managed to find Ukrainian-made machines capable of high-quality winding. Zhulynskyi said the company has perfected all technical processes and successfully improved the quality of the spools.

However, according to Oleksii Zhulynskyi, the Russians have far more experience using fiber-optic drones, as they began mass deployment back in the summer of 2024. In Ukraine, this field is still emerging, and both operators and manufacturers are just beginning to gain experience. Zhulynskyi noted that in some cases, troops received fiber-optic drones and were sent on combat missions without any training at test ranges. In such situations, the drones’ effectiveness was only 10–30%. However, the company has since developed a two-day pilot training program, after which the drones' effectiveness increased to 50%.

Oleksii Zhulynskyi added that 3Dtech works with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and directly with military units. Currently, most orders come from the units themselves. Fiber-optic drones are only beginning to see widespread use, so military units are working to identify the most effective models.

Prospects for the production of drones with longer range

Oleksii Zhulynskyi concluded that the main issue for the company remains scaling up production. This, in turn, requires more staff and additional machinery. He added that the key challenge is not producing the fiber-optic cable itself, but rather manufacturing media converters and the crucial remote control system for the drones.

Zhulynskyi also spoke about the prospects of developing fiber-optic drones with a range of up to 40 km. According to him, such a drone is not about efficiency or mass use. The more cable wound on the spool, the lower the drone’s effectiveness. Therefore, a drone with that range would be suitable only for targeted missions, not widespread deployment.

Ukraine's Defence Intelligence presented a line of new Magura series maritime drones

While Ukraine is still catching up with the enemy in the use of fiber-optic drones, the situation with naval drones is quite the opposite. Here, Ukraine has broken new ground in both technology and application. Yesterday, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) held a closed presentation of its Magura drone lineup, featuring the Magura V5, V6, and V7.

These drones are used for a wide range of tasks - from reconnaissance to destroying Russian targets. The Magura V5 is equipped with combat modules including machine guns, can carry a 320 kg warhead, and operates autonomously for up to two days. The Magura V6 is designed for patrol, reconnaissance, rescue missions, cargo delivery, and can also carry UAVs. The top-tier Magura V7 is larger than the V5 and capable of carrying air-to-air missiles - the same type that were used to shoot down two Russian fighter jets over the Black Sea.