Ramstein outcomes, expansion of fiber-optic drone production in Ukraine. Serhiy Zgurets' column

Europe to continue to help Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia

Now we are all trying to predict the further dynamics of the Russian-Ukrainian war after U.S. President Donald Trump had phone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin. Of course, there is a certain disturbing aftertaste after the initial reaction to these events, but I think we are in for a lot of unexpected things and we need to keep a cool head to assess and consider further actions by Ukraine and our European partners. In addition to emotions, statements by Trump and the U.S. Secretary of Defense, there is already the Paris statement. In particular, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Poland, Germany, and the EU declared a unified position on the impossibility of separate agreements between the United States and Russia. This is a clear signal that Europe will continue to support Ukraine. Military support for Ukraine also remains steady.

 Even after his calls with Putin and Zelenskyy, Trump stated that the U.S. would continue aiding Ukraine but required guarantees. The Ramstein meeting outcomes remain relevant, with the format preserved under the UK's coordinating role. Military aid packages from Europe continue to grow. The war is unfolding across multiple dimensions, making unity essential to withstand diplomatic turbulence.

Ramstein highlights

Europe will continue providing security assistance to Ukraine, prioritizing air defense systems, missiles, artillery, ammunition, and armored vehicles. These topics were central at the latest Ramstein meeting. Germany pledged 100 missiles for the Iris-T air defense system, the Netherlands is supplying armored tracked vehicles for medical evacuation, and the UK announced a £150 million military aid package.

The UK has unveiled the Gravehawk short-range air defense system, with two units set for delivery to Ukraine and 15 more expected in 2025. Each system, costing £1 million, is disguised as a standard container and launches R-73 missiles with a range of up to 12 km. These missiles, originally designed for aviation, are available in Ukraine, with domestic enterprises involved in their production.

3DTech plans to produce 10,000 fiber optic drones

Co-founder and CEO of 3DTech Oleksiy Zhulynskyi said that the company has started supplying fiber-optic drones to the Ukrainian Armed Forces since October 2024. The company has already received codification. Now, as Zhulynskyi emphasized, they are waiting for contracts from customers in order to scale up production and increase the supply of such drones for the needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Zhulynskyi said that the company plans to produce up to 10,000 fiber-optic drones per month.

Oleksiy Zhulynsky said that the most popular drone in terms of price, quality, and capabilities is the REBOFF Predator drone, which can operate at a distance of up to 15 km. This drone can carry 1.5 kg of payload in the form of a warhead. 3DTech also manufactures drones that can cover longer distances, including over 30 km. 

According to Zhulynskyi, the company makes improvements to its product every week. The first drones manufactured by the company had Chinese-made coils with a 5 km range and a weight of 2.5 kg. This weight is quite heavy for a 10-13-inch drone. That's why the company recently started using a winding system and switched to modules of its own production. The company has developed a line of drones that can cover distances from 10 to 30 km. For example, a 10 km coil made in China weighs 2.5 kg, while the coil made by 3DTech weighs 1.2 kg. This made it possible to install the coils on smaller drones. Zhulynskyi noted that even an 8- to 9-inch drone can lift a coil of this weight, attach a payload, and hit a target at a distance of up to 10 km.

Operators can quickly integrate fiber optic drones

The 3DTech CEO detailed that the fiber-optic system has been finalized as much as possible, so the operator's integration should take place in a short period of time. In fact, FPV drone operators will be able to use fiber optic drones without any problems. Although it is true that fiber-optic drones are a bit more difficult to operate and use due to their specific nature. However, operators will be able to adapt and perform combat missions in just a few flights. In particular, according to Zhulynskyi, drone operators have recently participated in demonstration flights of fiber-optic UAVs. Some operators were immediately able to adapt and easily control the fiber-optic drones. The company is very attentive to requests from the military. All suggestions and requests for modernization of fiber optic drones are taken into account.

Oleksiy Zhulynskyi said that the company works with many units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Today, the company produces more than 1,000 drones per month. However, Zhulynskyi emphasized that the company has the capacity to produce more drones. It is only important to get contracts and work. Currently, the company supplies drones for the needs of the Armed Forces that do not require any changes. However, 3DTech can supply fiber-optic systems separately and manufacture drones to meet customer needs.

Ukraine lags behind Russia in number of fiber-optic drones, but not in quality

Oleksiy Zhulynskyi also said that Ukraine is still lagging behind Russia in the production of fiber-optic drones. Nowadays, there are a large number of manufacturers in Ukraine that produce fiber optic drones, and there are quite high-quality products. However, until now, these manufacturers have not had large orders and government contracts. That's why these industries are not massive. In Russia, there are only a few manufacturers that produce a large number of fiber optic drones. Therefore, the Russians still have an advantage in terms of the number of fiber optic drones, but, as Zhulynskyi noted, not in terms of quality. Because Russian fiber optic drones are as simple and cheap as possible, and therefore of low quality. 

He added that to scale up the production of fiber optic drones in Ukraine, all that is needed are contracts from the state and a transparent procurement system. Companies have a lot of bureaucratic work to do, and because of this, some manufacturers produce the equipment very slowly. It takes more than six months to codify the equipment.