Russian forces are testing new winged drones controlled through fiber-optic cable, according to Sergey Beskrestnov, an adviser to the head of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry who uses the call sign «Flash.»

Beskrestnov said the system is being developed with plans for future mass production. He described the aircraft as an analogue of the Molniya drone and said its declared flight range reaches 50 kilometers.

According to the Ukrainian defense adviser, the concept is aimed at making drones with warheads of up to 10 kilograms invisible to electronic reconnaissance and resistant to electronic warfare systems. He also pointed to the quality of the video feed as a major advantage, saying it would allow an operator to guide the drone at low altitude and maneuver around obstacles.

Beskrestnov had earlier spoken about Russia’s Molniya UAV, which he claimed struck a Ukrainian target without operator control. He said the aircraft carried only a camera and a computer.