Russia deploys vintage radar and fiber‑optic guided drones in Ukraine conflict

Ukrainian security forces used a drone to strike a rare Soviet‑era P‑14 radar that Russia has recently re‑activated for air‑defence after retiring the last units in 2003. The massive 30‑metre antenna radar, known as 5N84A Oborona‑14, was hit in occupied territory, highlighting Moscow’s shortage of modern radar systems.

At the same time, Russian forces have been flying small first‑person‑view drones attached to ultra‑thin fibre‑optic cables to bypass Ukrainian concrete sarcophagi and anti‑drone nets protecting high‑voltage substations in the Sumy region. The drones target autotransformers worth several million dollars, aiming to black out local power grids.

Russia has also fielded a new compact acoustic reconnaissance system called Zavarukha, capable of locating enemy artillery firing positions up to 27 km away with a margin of error of 150–400 m. The system, described as passive and inexpensive, has been used in Donetsk, Luhansk, Belgorod, Bryansk, and Zaporozhye.

Ukraine is deploying its own ultra‑thin fibre‑optic cables along the front line to guide drones that are resistant to electronic‑warfare jamming, indicating a technological escalation on both sides.