Units of Russia’s Center group of forces are using Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky, or KVN, fiber-optic FPV drones to strike Ukrainian positions.

Senior Lieutenant Ivan Sokolov, deputy commander of an anti-tank battalion, told the media that control through a fiber-optic cable gives the KVN several advantages over radio-controlled drones. In particular, he said the aircraft can operate more effectively through forest belts and provides its operator with a higher-quality image.

Sokolov described the current confrontation as not only a drone war but, above all, a contest of intelligence.

Drone operator Bogdan Sviridonov said the KVN can reach a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour. He also noted that the drone is highly maneuverable and can enter enclosed structures, including dugouts, houses and pillboxes.

Conventional radio-controlled FPV drones face difficulties in such conditions because they can lose their signal after entering a building or other enclosed space.

Alexey Chadayev, general director of the Ushkuynik research and production center, recently described the Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky as the most effective Russian drone currently being used in the special military operation zone.