Ukrainian FPV Operators Pilot Drones From Long Range

BusinessAerospace & DefenseUkrainian FPV Operators Pilot Drones From Long RangeByDavid Hambling,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I'm a South London-based technology journalist, consultant and authorFollow AuthorMay 13, 2026, 08:44am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Ukrainian FPV drone pilot of the 26th Artillery Brigade operating ng a drone from inside a shelter in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.Global Images Ukraine via Getty ImagesJulian Röpcke of German news outlet BILD reported this week from a Ukrainian remote drone operations site. The operators, flying Mavics, bombers, and FPV drones, remain in a safe bunker far from the front line, finding and striking Russian forces remotely. We have seen setups like this before, and long-range control of small drones was key in actions like the epic Operation Spiderweb strike last year which damaged and destroyed dozens of Russian strategic bombers. What is different here is the drone unit commander mentions repeatedly that there is no time lag in the video link. Operators can be based in another area, are another country on the other side of the world. Röpcke’s video report indicates that the remote operators of the Perum Battalion of the 79th Brigade are just as effective across the spectrum of operations as they would be at the front line. The trick seems to have been achieved using low-cost commercial technology. And the implications for drone warfare, for drone carriers and long-range strike, are huge.The Curse Of Latency Any digital communications link will have some latency or time lag. This is most obvious in voice over internet or video conferencing where there may be a noticeable lag when replying. But even when it is not obvious, some latency is always there. The bulge on top of the Reaper is the satellite communications system which causes a significant time lagNurPh...