Solar-powered ambush drones can wait for targets like land mines | Dr. Bunker of SWJ for NewScientist
09.07.2025 at 09:04pm
A Russian ambush drone with solar panels seen in Ukraine
Credit: Serhii Beskrestnov
Solar-powered ambush drones can wait for targets like land mines | NewScientist
Russian ambush drones have been seen in Ukraine fitted with cheap solar panels, which enable them to lurk indefinitely, waiting for a target to come near.
Small racing quadcopters carrying explosives, known as first-person-view drones or FPVs, have become the dominant weapon in the war in Ukraine. Now, some are fitted with solar cells so they can wait for extended periods to ambush targets, turning them into a new type of land mine.
“The drone can sit by a road or choke point and when it acquires its target, it can then do a quick sprint to the target,” says Robert Bunker at US consultancy firm C/O Futures.
Note: This article is behind a paywall.
