Nov. 4 — A Chinese company, Jiangxi Guangbo Optoelectronic Technology, is offering drone reels for the Russian market with 100 kilometers (62 miles) of fiber-optic cable, Militarnyi, a Ukrainian defense media outlet, said, citing an investigation by The Insider online media.

The use of a longer fiber-optic cable could allow Russian forces to extend the operational range of first-person view (FPV) drones, which are controlled via the cable and are resistant to electronic warfare (EW) systems.

This year in Kharkiv, Russian forces began using improved fiber-optic drones, in which the cable can extend for about 30-44 miles and is difficult to sever.

At the same time, increasing the cable length adds weight to the drone, which can negatively affect its speed and maneuverability and limit the capacity of its explosive payload, Militarnyi writes.

According to The Insider’s investigation, representatives of the Chinese company exhibited their products at trade shows in Russia, offering not only optical fiber cables but also equipment for rolling it onto reels.

The company offered reels of various lengths, including 70, 80, and 100 kilometers (44, 50, and 62 miles). The cost is 300 Chinese yuan per kilometer.

So, Militarnyi says that a reel with 62 miles of fiber-optic cable will cost 30,000 Chinese yuan, which is $4,515.

Last year, Militarnyi says, investigators reported that China supplied Russia with over 500,000 kilometers (310,686 miles) of fiber-optic cables.

Militarnyi said that although Beijing claims neutrality in the Russian-Ukrainian war, it keeps supplying drone components to Russia while limiting exports of ready-to-use drones to Ukraine and Western countries.

Also, journalists said that Russia has been experiencing problems with fiber-optic cable production. The only fiber-optic cable plant in Russia, Fiber Optic Systems Plant in Saransk, has still not resumed work after Ukrainian attacks in April–May 2025.

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