The Ministry of Defense has revised the procurement rules for fiber-optic drones
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has updated its procurement mechanism for fiber-optic drones to ensure a steady supply to the front lines amid sharp fluctuations in component prices.
This was reported by the Ministry of Defense.
The ministry emphasized that fiber-optic drones play a critically important role on the battlefield, as they remain effective even under the influence of electronic warfare systems and provide reliable communication.
According to the ministry, 374,000 such drones were delivered under contracts in 2025. As of April 2026, the military had already received over 92% of this volume, indicating a significant increase in deliveries.
At the same time, procurement became more difficult due to instability in the global market—fiber optic cable prices rose and fluctuated several times over. As a result, manufacturers working under fixed-price contracts faced the risk of supply disruptions.
To address the issue, the Ministry of Defense, together with the government and the Defense Procurement Agency, introduced a mechanism to adjust contract prices based on changes in the cost of key components—fiber optic cable, spools, and reels.
Since late March, the first supplementary agreements with updated prices have already been signed. The ministry expects this will help avoid supply disruptions and maintain the pace of supplying the front lines with necessary technologies.
Russia is centralizing drone procurement for the army — ISW.
Additionally, the Ukrainian military struck radar stations belonging to the S-400 and Nebo-SVU air defense systems, as well as logistics facilities and Russian troop concentrations.
