Ukraine’s fiber-optic drones get squeezed by AI data center demand

Fiber-optic drones, which are immune to battlefield jamming because they are physically connected to operators by miles of cable, have become a common weapon in Ukraine, leaving tangled cables across trees and fields. Importing the fiber-optic material from China has grown more costly as drone warfare needs compete with global AI data center demand for the same limited supply, prompting Ukrainian drone makers to adapt. Russia first deployed unjammable fiber-optic drones in 2024 to repel Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast, and Ukraine quickly followed; both countries have relied on Chinese suppliers for drones and components, with finished spools holding enough cable for ranges of dozens of miles and sometimes up to 62 miles (100 kilometers) in extreme cases, according to The Insider.