logo
What are FPV drones, used by Ukraine to attack Russia?

What are FPV drones, used by Ukraine to attack Russia?

Indian Express02-06-2025
A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia destroyed more than 40 planes on Sunday (June 1), marking the deepest strikes in Russian territory since the conflict began in February 2022.
The attack was carried out just a day before the two countries' representatives were to meet in Istanbul for peace talks. In a video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 'Operation Spider's Web' was planned over 18 months, and that they only targeted military facilities with the help of 117 drones. Several sources have said that first-person view (FPV) drones were used.
According to Associated Press, the FPV drones were first smuggled to Russia, where they were placed in 'mobile wooden houses'. They were hidden under the roofs of houses, which were remotely opened, and the drones then flew to hit their targets. The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed attacks on five locations, including in the country's far east, which is more than 4,000 kilometres from Ukraine.
First-person view means that a person piloting a drone can see what the drone sees, through a camera attached to its body. The live video can be seen through specialised goggles, or on smartphones and other kinds of screens, and the drone can be manoeuvred remotely. Such drones are also used in filming and other non-defence purposes.
According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, one major challenge is that the drones' movement through their surroundings cannot be seen by the drone operator. This can limit situational awareness and may lead to disorientation. At times, another person, a visual observer, may be needed to guide the person controlling the drone.
Before FPV drones are deployed, a reconnaissance drone with a larger range first goes to survey the area and zero in on a specific region that needs to be targeted. FPV drones have a much smaller range, of a few kilometres.
The key advantages are cost and deep strike capabilities while remaining largely undetected. A Reuters report estimated that the total cost of one such drone equipped with a payload (say, an explosive device) can be as little as $500 (around Rs 42,000). Given the significantly higher average costs of more conventional artillery systems, they make attractive alternatives.
'The tiny, inexpensive FPV (first-person view) drone has proved to be one of the most potent weapons in this war, where conventional warplanes are relatively rare because of a dense concentration of anti-aircraft systems near front lines,' the report added.
Even beyond Ukraine and Russia, drones are increasingly being used during conflicts because they minimise the risk to human life by reducing the number of boots on the ground. Technological developments have made them much cheaper over time, while maintaining and even improving on precision. All major defence powers have unmanned aerial vehicles in their arsenal, be it Israel's 'kamikaze' HAROP drones or Iran's Shahed drones.
Ukraine has been using FPVs against Russia for some time. A November 2023 Reuters report said, 'The use of agile First Person View (FPV) drones in battle has been one of the most successful of the various low-cost strategies Ukraine has used to defend itself from a full-scale invasion by Russia, its much richer and more powerful neighbour.' Therefore, it is also a part of an attrition strategy.
Both countries have since increased the production of indigenous drones. A NATO official told Foreign Policy in 2024 that more than two-thirds of the Russian tanks that Ukraine's military had destroyed in recent months were thanks to FPV drones. Forbes reported that Ukrainian makers Vyriy Drone officially handed over the first batch of 1,000 'all-Ukrainian' FPV drones in March this year. Ukraine is also on course to produce over four million drones this year, the report added.
Domestic capabilities matter from the perspective of protecting a country's defence system from external shifts. For example, many of the chips used in these drones come from China, which has occasionally threatened export controls when it comes to Ukraine.
A report from the think tank Center for Strategic & International Studies last year said that China is the 'undisputed leader in commercial drone production'. It added, 'The DJI Technology Company, a Chinese company and the world's largest commercial drone manufacturer, holds a remarkable 90 percent share of the U.S. commercial drone market and 80 percent of the global consumer drone market. China also leads in the production of essential drone components, such as small lithium-ion batteries, with Contemporary Amperex Technology Company, Limited, being the largest battery maker by capacity.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Thailand accuses Cambodia of using BM-21 rocket systems: What are these?
Thailand accuses Cambodia of using BM-21 rocket systems: What are these?

Mint

time10 minutes ago

  • Mint

Thailand accuses Cambodia of using BM-21 rocket systems: What are these?

Thailand's military accused rival Cambodia of using Russian-made BM-21 rocket systems as tensions between the neighbouring countries escalated on Thursday. The Thai army said Cambodian forces had used heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket launchers, prompting what Thai officials described as 'appropriate supporting fire' in return. Several images also show Cambodian soldiers standing on a truck carrying a Russian-made BM-21 rocket launcher and travelling along a street in Oddar Meanchey province on July 25, 2025. Thailand and Cambodia fought their bloodiest military clashes in more than a decade on July 24, with at least 12 people killed as the two sides battled with tanks, artillery and ground forces over a disputed border zone. The Russian BM-21 Grad (БМ-21) is said to be a self-propelled 122mm Multiple-Launch-Rocket-System (MLRS). Simply put, it is a Soviet truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher. The BM-21 Grad is an early Cold War era multiple rocket launcher of Soviet origin, claimed. It was developed in the early 1960s and saw its first combat in March 1969, a report claimed. BM stands for Boyevaya Mashina, meaning Combat-Vehicle. The nickname Grad means Hail. In NATO countries, the system (either the complete system or the launch vehicle only) was initially known as M1964. According to Army Recognition website, the BM-21 122 mm multiple rocket launcher (MRL) system entered into service with the Soviet Army in 1963 to replace the ageing 140 mm BM-14 system. "The main role of the BM-21 Grad system is to support the division with suppressive fire to counter anti-tank missile, artillery and mortar positions, destroy strong points and eliminate enemy nodes of resistance on the immediate battlefield," the report added. Several other countries have copied the Grad or have developed similar systems. The BM-21 GRAD is equipped with a pod of 40 launch tubes of 122 mm caliber arranged in a rectangular shape that can be turned away from the unprotected cab. The rocket launcher weapon system is mounted at the rear of the truck chassis. The launching mechanism is powered by a small generator system inside the truck. It can fire rockets directly from the cab or from a trigger at the end of a 64-meter cable. The BM-21 rockets can be either fired singly or in a salvo lasting six seconds, Army Recognition V8 petrol engine provides a maximum road speed of 75 km/h. After firing, the vehicle needs to be reloaded, which can take around 10 minutes with an experienced crew and the appropriate reloading equipment. The BM-21 Grad is the most widely used multiple rocket launcher ever developed. It was used in very large quantities by Soviet and some Warsaw Pact forces. Many systems were exported to Soviet allies in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. Besides, many nations have developed their own improved variants. Most of these remain compatible with original Grad rockets, but also use newer and longer-range variants.

Delhi HC seeks NIA's response on Engineer Rashid's plea seeking waiver of travel cost for attending Parliament
Delhi HC seeks NIA's response on Engineer Rashid's plea seeking waiver of travel cost for attending Parliament

Indian Express

time10 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Delhi HC seeks NIA's response on Engineer Rashid's plea seeking waiver of travel cost for attending Parliament

The Delhi High Court Friday sought the National Investigation Agency (NIA)'s response on the plea filed by Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, also known as Engineer Rashid, challenging the costs imposed by a trial court as part of his custody parole conditions to attend Parliament. Rashid, who is an Independent Lok Sabha MP, also sought interim bail. On Tuesday, a Delhi court granted custody parole to Rashid from July 24 to August 4 to attend the Monsoon Session of Parliament, but rejected his interim bail plea. Rashid urged the trial court to either grant interim bail or permission to attend Parliament in custody, without payment of travel costs, as he was seeking to attend the session as part of his public duty and not for personal work. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, however, imposed travel costs on him. Challenging the trial court's order, Senior Advocate N Hariharan told a bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Shalinder Kaur Friday that despite the custody parole, Rashid was losing each day of the relief as he had not been able to attend the session due to the huge costs. Hariharan also submitted that Rashid has been 'saddled' with a cost of Rs 17 lakh to 'represent the public at large.' The bench posted the matter for further consideration on July 29, and issued notice to NIA. On the same day, the high court is also due to consider a plea by Rashid seeking regular bail after a trial court rejected the request on March 21. In March, while allowing Rashid to attend Parliament during the Budget session, the Delhi High Court imposed the condition that the lawmaker would bear the expense for his travel to Parliament while in the court's custody, accompanied by the police, and other arrangements. The jail authorities had estimated a daily cost of approximately Rs 1.45 lakh for travel and related arrangements, totalling Rs 8.74 lakh for Rashid to attend six days of Parliament. At the time, he had challenged the condition that required him to bear the costs before the HC. Subsequently, he had submitted that he is ready to deposit 50 per cent of the cost of over Rs 8.74 lakh for the police escort arrangement to attend Parliament. Recording Rashid's submission, the Delhi HC had directed that he would be allowed to attend Parliament after depositing the amount. Lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail since 2019 in a case of alleged terror funding, he was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. According to NIA, he used various public platforms to 'propagate the ideology of separatism and secessionism', was closely associated with various terrorist organisations, and wanted to 'legitimise' the United Jihad Council, a platform of anti-India militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir. On May 30, 2017, NIA registered a case under Indian Penal Code Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) and various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) against Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and other 'secessionist and separatist' leaders, including Rashid. NIA claimed they 'received and collected' funds through hawala channels in 'connivance with active militants of…terrorist organizations Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Lashkar-e-Toiba' to fund 'terrorist activities' in Jammu and Kashmir.

Ganja worth Rs 30 lakh seized from abandoned car in MPs Shahdol
Ganja worth Rs 30 lakh seized from abandoned car in MPs Shahdol

News18

time34 minutes ago

  • News18

Ganja worth Rs 30 lakh seized from abandoned car in MPs Shahdol

Last Updated: Shahdol, Jul 24 (PTI) At least 300 kg of ganja worth Rs 30 lakh was seized from an abandoned car in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district, police said on Friday. The police received a tip-off about a car accident in the Kunda Tola area under the jurisdiction of Sidhi police station on Wednesday night, Station House Officer (SHO) Rajkumar Mishra said. On reaching the scene, the police team found a white car with a Chhattisgarh registration number abandoned on a field, he said. 'We found 294 plastic packets containing a substance, later identified as ganja," Mishra told PTI. He said that the seized contraband weighed 301.75 kg and was valued at Rs 30 lakh. A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against unidentified persons, and an investigation is underway, the official said. The police are scanning CCTV footage from the area to identify and locate those involved in the interstate smuggling racket, he said. PTI COR LAL ARU Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store