Ukraine‘s Defense Chief Sounds Alarm on Russian Use of Advanced Drones
The head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Kirill Budanov, has highlighted the growing challenge posed by Russia‘s employment of advanced, optical fiber FPV-drones. Speaking in a televised marathon, Budanov acknowledged that while Ukraine maintains dominance in drone warfare, the emergence of these new Russian drones threatens to shift the balance.
"In the drone war, we’re winning," said Budanov. "But Russia has begun to massively deploy optical fiber FPV-drones, which is a significant issue for us. These can’t be stopped using electronic warfare means. They’re a novel development, a trend of 2024." Budanov underscored the urgent need to find a technological solution to this problem by the year 2025.
The intelligence chief expressed optimism about next year, forecasting a better year for Ukraine compared to 2024. "I had said that 2024 would be very tough," he recalled. "But I’m much more positive about 2025. We’ll see many good things happen that will bring us closer to our desired outcome."
Budanov also warned that Russia faces critical decisions regarding its financial and economic systems by mid-2025. "If they don’t change course, they’ll have to take very tough measures," he said. "They might be ready, but they certainly don’t want it, and they’ll do everything to avoid it."
