Ministry of Defence codified new fibre-optic UAV “Hromylo Optic”. What can it do?

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has codified and approved for operational use in units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine the fibre-optic FPV drone “Hromylo Optic”. It is equipped with a 10-inch carbon frame and a video system offering a choice of a daytime, twilight, or night/thermal imaging camera. The deployment time of the system is five minutes.

The Hromylo Optic is capable of carrying up to 3.5 kg of payload over a distance of up to 20 km. According to the Ministry of Defence, “Hromylo Optic” drones are already being used by Ukrainian military units — and have confirmed hits on enemy tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and firing positions.

The “Hromylo Optic” is a fibre-optic version of the “Hromylo” drone developed by the Ukrainian manufacturer Wardrone Pro. The company’s most well-known product is the “Hrim” FPV drone, capable of carrying up to 2.5 kg of explosives. According to the project’s website, the company has produced over 25,000 of drones, which have struck more than 15,000 enemy targets. The “Hromylo Optic” represents an improved version of the original “Hrim” design.

The Wardrone Pro product line also includes a large hexacopter, the “Volynyaka”, capable of carrying up to 10 kg of payload over distances of up to 30 km. The company operates its own R&D centre and reports a production capacity of up to 10,000 drones per month.

Since the beginning of 2025, the Ministry of Defence has codified and authorised the operation of approximately 40 models of fibre-optic UAVs, including around 15 during April alone.

Defender has previously reported on the role of fibre-optic drones on the battlefield. In addition, the Brave1 state cluster continues to test both aerial and ground-based unmanned systems operating via fibre-optic control.