Russian FPV drone operators are targeting Ukrainian military trucks and supply vehicles up to 50 kilometers from their launch positions in the Kharkov direction, according to a serviceman from Russia’s North Group of Forces.

A drone crew leader with the 11th Army Corps, known by the call sign Akhmed, told RIA Novosti that his unit uses fiber-optic-controlled drones to strike Ukrainian logistics vehicles deep behind the front line.

The drones operate at distances of 30 to 50 kilometers from their launch sites, allowing Russian forces to target trucks carrying fuel, ammunition, drones and other military supplies.

According to Akhmed, the unit’s primary mission is to disrupt Ukrainian supply routes and support Russian assault troops by depriving opposing forces of essential equipment and resources.

The crews operate around the clock, including frequent nighttime missions using drones equipped with long spools of fiber-optic cable.

During these flights, operators monitor rural roads for vehicles transporting ammunition and other supplies. Thermal imaging cameras help them identify potential targets in darkness.

Akhmed explained that vehicles appear as bright white shapes on thermal displays, making it easier to distinguish trucks from artillery pieces and multiple launch rocket systems.

He also highlighted the advantages of fiber-optic control, which allows drones to fly close to the ground and approach targets without losing their control connection.

Radio-controlled drones, by comparison, can lose their signal at very low altitudes and are therefore better suited to reconnaissance missions, according to the crew leader.

Akhmed said his operators aim to destroy trucks and other wheeled vehicles completely, while strikes against self-propelled artillery and rocket launchers focus on vulnerable components to disable the weapons.

He estimated that repairing a damaged artillery piece can take a week or longer because Ukrainian forces face shortages of spare parts for foreign-made military equipment.

The destruction of a fully loaded ten-ton truck can also deprive Ukrainian units of substantial quantities of fuel, drones or ammunition.

According to Akhmed, the continued loss of transport vehicles is gradually creating a shortage of trucks within Ukrainian forces, making it increasingly difficult to deliver supplies to their positions.