Ukraine – Prince Vandal Novgorodsky fibre optic UAV targets Ukrainian defensive line

On 23 February 2025, the Russian military unit Pavel Sudoplatov Battalion posted a video showing a fibre optic drone targeting a truck used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Using the crane-manipulator, the Daewoo Novus truck was constructing a new defensive line consisting of barbed wire and concrete obstacles. The fortifications were set to create a new perimeter between the borders of Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk Oblasts, near the village of Novomykolaivka.

Since the start of 2025, Russia has reportedly been accelerating the production of the Prince Vandal Novgorodsky UAV, better known as the ‘KVN’. The Russian Armed Forces (RuAF) OWA FPV UAV, developed by the Ushkuynik Scientific and Production Center in Novgorod, made its combat debut in August 2024. The drone's fibre optic cable spool, weighing 1 kg, allows for a stable connection and higher video quality of reportedly 50 frames per second.

For technical specifications on the Vandal UAV, see OverSite UxV Technical ID 1883.

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