Ukraine lags behind in protecting roads from FPV drone attacks

Ukrainian military observer Oleksandr Kovalenko has analyzed the situation regarding FPV drones.

The topic of nets over roads and bypasses near the frontline and battle zones is being actively raised now, highlighting that Ukraine significantly lags behind Russian occupiers in setting up even the most basic protection against FPV drone strikes.

"And this is a bitter déjà vu…In 2024 I warned that in 2025 Russians would mostly fight with infantry, and that anti-infantry defensive means would play a crucial role in defense. But it’s just interesting — how many fundraisers have you seen not for FPV drones, pickups, or electronic warfare systems, but simply for barbed wire? Which volunteer organizations collected funds for barbed wire in 2024-2025?" Kovalenko wrote.

"And now, when enemy FPV drones fly deep into rear areas and terrorize Ukraine's logistics arteries, how many fundraisers have there been for basic nets to protect roads and highways?" he added.

Kovalenko pointed out that he had been regularly tracking statistics on Russia's FPV drone usage and warned that the Russian forces would only increase the intensity of attacks. 

Here is some statistics on FPV drone strikes:

Throughout 2024, the occupying Russian forces used more than 99,350 FPV drones. The trend in usage looks as follows, which only proves the increasing potential of the Russian army in this category throughout the year:

• January - 4,500
• February - 5,000
• March - 5,000
• April - 5,000
• May - 5,500
• June - 7,000
• July - 11,000
• August - 10,000
• September - 12,000
• October - 13,000
• November - 10,000
• December - 11,350

In 2025, the figures were as follows:

• January – 10,000

• February - 17,000

  FPV drone use record – more than 1,150

• March - 22,000
  FPV drone use record – more than 1,360
• April - 17,000

Since early May 2025, record numbers of Russian FPV drone strikes have been registered, and these are systematic. The Russian forces are steadily increasing the use of this component against our logistics, and unfortunately, it is yielding results.

During the first half of May, the occupying Russian forces used more than 8,800 FPV drones, with a record of over 1,200 drones used in one day on May 13, and nearly 1,200 on May 19! That means in just two days of May, the Russian army used FPV drones amounting to 50% of the monthly total for January 2024.

Meanwhile, even on many key roads and bypasses leading to the frontline, there are no net barriers. And just so everyone understands right away, it is not the military’s responsibility to build such “engineering” structures.

Whether people understand it or not, Ukrainian roads leading inland from the frontline should be covered with nets at a depth of at least 10–15 kilometers. But as of today, these are isolated cases playing only a situational, tactical role, nothing more.