Russia claims hidden ‘sleeper’ drones thwart Ukraine defenses

Researchers at a Russian technology organization supporting the nation’s war against Ukraine say they’ve developed an application allowing first-person view (FPV) drones to be hidden in ideal attack locations, then reactivated out of “sleeping” mode for strikes on nearby targets at appointed times.

Russia’s nominally independent Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions says the sleeping UAVs are an outgrowth of its line of Joker FPV drones. Those craft are designed to fulfill a variety of objectives against Ukraine’s defenses, while requiring minimal adaptation between, for example, reconnaissance, intelligence, and strike missions. 

Read: Ukraine reportedly upping FPV drone fleet for rumored offensive against Russian forces

According to a recent report from the Tass news agency, the center’s director general, Dmitry Kuzyakin, explained the idea behind the sleeping concept is to permit Russian forces to position the drones…