What Are FPV Drones, Used By Ukraine In Its Record Barrage On Russia's Bomber Fleet?

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Last Updated:June 02, 2025, 19:40 IST

As part of Ukraine's ‘Operation Spider’s Web‘, at least 117 FPV (first-person-view) drones were smuggled into Russia and hidden in wooden cabins to be used against airbases.

Ukraine unleashed a devastating drone attack on Sunday, targeting multiple Russian airbases across 4,000 km of hostile territory and damaging at least 41 nuclear bombers and warplanes.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) carried out ‘Operation Spider’s Web‘, using first-person-view (FPV) drones, which were reportedly hidden inside makeshift wooden cabins and mounted on trucks that were parked near major military airbases. They were released from the cabins using a remote signal and swarmed the airbases, inflicting heavy damage.

This marked the deepest strikes inside Russian territory since the war began in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the audacious strike was carried out after 18 months of planning, and 117 drones were used in the operation.

What Are FPV Drones?

First-person view drones are those where the person piloting the drone can see what the drone can see through a camera attached to its body. These drones are controlled remotely and capture real-time videos that can be seen on smartphones and other kinds of devices.

These drones are also used in filming and covering high-profile events. However, one of the drawbacks of these drones is that the surroundings cannot be viewed by the operator, leading to limited situational awareness.

Regardless, the inexpensive and tiny FPV drones have proved to be one of the most potent weapons in the Ukraine war. They are often laden with explosives and have a range of 5-20 km. Usually, a reconnaissance drone is deployed ahead of an FPV drone to locate enemy vulnerabilities.

After locating a weakness, the FPV drone would fly at high speed into the target with greater accuracy, using the explosive to inflict damage. These drones have become one of the most widely-used weapons on the battlefield and have changed the methods of modern warfare.

FPV Drones Smuggled In Russia

Over 100 explosive-laden FPV drones were smuggled into Russia, where they were then placed in mobile wooden houses, a Ukrainian military source told The Associated Press. They were placed on trucks and taken close to Russian airbases, after which they were remotely opened and used to attack Russia’s fleet.

The drones hit 41 planes stationed at military airfields on Sunday afternoon, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M aircraft, according to the official. Ukraine claimed it had damaged 34% of Russia’s fleet of air missile carriers with damages estimated at $7 billion, although the claim is yet to be verified.

Unverified video and pictures posted on Russian social media showed Russian strategic bombers on fire at the strategic Belaya air base in the Irkutsk region of Siberia, which is over 4,300 km away from the border, marking Ukraine’s deepest attack in Russia. However, FPV drones do not possess that range, so they had to be smuggled inside to get close enough to their targets.

(with agency inputs)

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

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Kyiv, Ukraine

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