The August strike demonstrated the disruptive potential of this low-cost technology. A corvette worth $215 million to replace was disabled by an aircraft costing less than an iPhone.
As one member of Ukraine’s Typhoon drone unit put it:
“People think flying a military drone is like playing Call of Duty, until they realize there’s no restart option.”
Timeline: Ukraine’s Drone Strike Milestones (2022–2025)
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2022 – Ukraine begins adapting hobbyist FPV drones for frontline use, targeting Russian armored vehicles and artillery.
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October 2022 – First successful naval drone strike damages Russia’s Black Sea Fleet ships in Sevastopol harbor.
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2023 – FPV drones are mass-deployed across brigades; Ukraine establishes dedicated drone assault units.
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September 2023 – Ukrainian sea drones hit and severely damage the Russian landing ship Minsk in Crimea.
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Early 2024 – Britain’s Defense Ministry assesses the Russian Black Sea Fleet as “functionally inactive” due to repeated Ukrainian strikes.
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May 27, 2025 – A Ukrainian brigade destroys a Russian tank using a fiber-optic FPV drone from 42 km away, setting a new record.
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August 28, 2025 – Ukraine launches a $400 FPV drone strike over 350 km, disabling a Russian Buyan-M missile corvette armed with Kalibr cruise missiles — the longest-range drone strike in history.
The Economics of Drone Warfare
The stark financial imbalance defines this conflict:
- Ukrainian FPV drone cost: $300–$500
- Russian Buyan-M corvette cost: ~$215 million
- Damage inflicted in August 2025 strike: Estimated $500 million in lost operational capability
With Ukraine planning to build 4.5 million FPV drones in 2025, the sheer scale makes it nearly impossible for Russia to defend all its assets.
