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

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
2 minutes ago
- First Post
Gaza, Ukraine and beyond: Is Trump's bid to be a global peacemaker falling apart?
The United States cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks this week plunges one of President Donald Trump's pushes to solve global conflicts into new uncertainty. read more The United States' decision to withdraw from Gaza ceasefire negotiations this week has cast fresh doubt over President Donald Trump's attempts to resolve some of the world's most intractable conflicts. The faltering of talks aimed at ending the 21-month war between Israel and Hamas marks another setback for Trump whose efforts to broker international peace agreements have stalled across multiple fronts. Though back in office for only six months, the Republican president has sought to position himself as a global peacemaker. Some of his aims, such as ending the Ukraine war before taking office, have yet to materialise. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While Trump has cited humanitarian motives for his diplomatic pursuits, he has also been vocal about his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Several allies have nominated him for the honour. Ceasefire efforts in Gaza: No major progress Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced Thursday that the U.S. was recalling its negotiating team from Qatar. Talks there had failed to yield a breakthrough. Witkoff accused Hamas of not engaging in 'good faith', though he did not elaborate. Despite a visit to Washington earlier this month by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the negotiations have produced little progress. Witkoff said the U.S. would now 'consider alternative options to bring the hostages home', but officials declined to provide further details. Asked about the issue on Friday, Trump told reporters that Hamas was uninterested in a deal and added, 'I think what's going to happen is they're going to be hunted down.' Ukraine war: Stalemate persists Trump previously vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of assuming office, but the war continues with no sign of resolution. Despite increasing criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump has not supported a bipartisan U.S. sanctions bill. Instead, he gave Russia 50 days to accept a peace plan, delaying punitive measures. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This delay has allowed Moscow to intensify its military offensive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated his willingness to hold direct talks with Putin, but Russia has rejected the offer. Lower-level negotiations held in Istanbul on Wednesday ended without progress. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from four regions it annexed in 2022 and abandon its NATO ambitions, terms Kyiv and its Western backers have rejected. Iran conflict: Ceasefire but no nuclear deal The US and Israel recently carried out joint strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, leading to a fragile ceasefire. However, Washington has not yet reached any agreement with Tehran over its nuclear programme. An Iranian diplomat said this week that Tehran is open to talks with the US but only if steps are taken to rebuild trust. Meanwhile, Iran is also exploring a separate negotiation path with Britain, France and Germany—three parties to the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from during his previous term. Foreign ministers from the four countries met Friday in Istanbul, warning that sanctions could be reinstated if there is no movement on a new deal by August. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Progress on some fronts Despite the setbacks, Trump has managed to broker certain regional agreements. In June, the US facilitated a peace accord between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, ending years of tension. The agreement includes commitments to cease hostilities, respect each other's sovereignty and grant US access to critical minerals. In May, the Trump administration claimed to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan following cross-border strikes. However, India denied any international interference. Earlier in July, US special envoy Tom Barrack announced a limited ceasefire between Israel and Syria following Israeli intervention in the latter's internal conflict. While the ceasefire was hailed as a success, the episode disrupted efforts to normalise relations between the two nations. With inputs from agencies


India.com
2 minutes ago
- India.com
Fake embassy case: Investigation unearths shocking details related to Hawala money, shell company, and a name
New Delhi: The arrest of Harshvardhan Jain on charges of running a fake embassy from a two-storey bungalow in Ghaziabad's Kavinagar has exposed the layers of international fraud and hawala racket. The most surprising name that has emerged in the UP STF investigation is that of Ehsan Ali Syed, who is a native of Hyderabad and has now taken Turkish citizenship. Who is Ehsan Ali? Ehsan has lived in London for a long time and has been involved in many fraudulent activities. Ehsan Ali is the same person who has been considered very close to the controversial religious leader Chandraswami. On his advice, Harshvardhan Jain set up dozens of shell companies abroad. What does the investigation say? The investigation has revealed that these companies were used for hawala transactions, money laundering and large-scale economic fraud. Names of some of these fake companies are: State Trading Corporation Ltd (UK) East India Company UK Ltd (UK) Island General Trading Co LLC (Dubai) Indira Overseas Ltd (Mauritius) Cameron Ispat Sarl (Cameroon, Africa) Where were Ehsan Ali Saeed's businesses based? Ehsan Ali Saeed's company Western Advisory Group was based in Switzerland and Bahrain. This company arranged loans of about 70 million pounds (about Rs 735 crore) in the name of getting loans to Swiss companies between 2008 and 2011 and charged brokerage of 25 million pounds (about Rs 262 crore) in return. After getting the money, Saeed absconded. On the request of the Swiss government, London police arrested him in November 2022. After this, in July 2023, the Westminster Court approved his extradition. Finally, the Zurich Court of Switzerland sentenced Saeed to 6 years and 6 months in prison for fraud and absconding with the money. What was Harshvardhan's role? Interrogation of Harshvardhan Jain has revealed that he also has a connection with Ehsan Ali. Harshvardhan's involvement with Ehsan Ali is being investigated. Jain has several bank accounts opened in his name in India and abroad, which are being investigated. A case has been registered against Harshvardhan in Kavinagar police station under sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340. The STF is preparing to take his remand. This entire case goes to the depths of hawala network, shell companies and international racket of fraud, in which connections have been found from India to UK, Turkey, Switzerland, Mauritius and Africa.


Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
3 held for attacking petrol pump staff on Del-Jaipur highway
Jaipur: Three men were arrested Friday for launching a violent assault on a petrol pump along the Delhi-Aj)mer highway under Chandwaji police station limits. The incident left a security guard seriously injured on Thursday. The attack occurred early Thursday morning at Shyam Filling Station in the Verna area. It involved suspects armed with iron rods, sticks, and pipes. According to Chandwaji SHO Hiralal Saini, the arrested accused were identified as Naman Sharma (22) of Vidhyadhar Nagar, Dhairya Arneja (24) of Murlipura, and Vansh Jangid (23) of Sikar Road, all residents of Jaipur. Police said the incident began when the accused arrived at the pump in a car, filled diesel worth Rs 2,111, removed the vehicle's number plate to avoid identification, and fled without paying. Within minutes, a second wave of violence followed. At least five to six individuals arrived in two vehicles and stormed the premises, assaulting the employees with iron rods and wooden sticks. Security guard Babulal Meena, who attempted to stop the attackers, suffered severe head injuries and multiple blows to the body. The assailants also vandalised several vehicles parked at the site before speeding away.