Operators from the 195th Support and Security Base of the State Special Transport Service of Ukraine have successfully shot down russian Orlan-30 reconnaissance drone using a relatively inexpensive FPV drone.
The Orlan-30 UAV represents one of the latest upgrades in russia's family of reconnaissance UAVs. Compared to its predecessors, the Orlan-30 drone features improved optics and targeting systems, with the ability to operate up to 120 kilometers via remote control and up to 600 kilometers in autonomous flight mode. Its extended range makes it a significant threat, particularly when used for deep reconnaissance missions behind the frontlines.
Read more: Precision Over Armor: Ukrainian FPV Drone Pilots Take Out russian T-72 Tank in the South
Russia uses these drones to gather intelligence on Ukrainian rear positions. The Orlan-30 drone often works in tandem with artillery units and missile systems, feeding coordinates in real time to direct precision strikes. This capability makes it a key asset in russia's battlefield surveillance and targeting ecosystem.
Despite its advanced features and a reported price tag of up to $150,000, the Orlan-30 system proved vulnerable to Ukraine's growing arsenal of FPV drones. With smart use of inexpensive technologies and precise tactics, Ukrainian forces were able to neutralize the high-value target before it could carry out its mission.
The success of this FPV drone strike illustrates a larger shift in modern warfare. Cost-effective, agile, and rapidly deployable, FPV drones have become a core part of Ukraine's asymmetric strategy to level the technological playing field against a larger and better-funded adversary.
As Defense Express previously reported, Ukrainian drone warfare continues to evolve with remarkable accuracy and tactical finesse. In a recent operation on the southern front, FPV drone pilots from the Asgard unit of the Nemesis 412th Regiment successfully destroyed camouflaged russian T-72 tank hidden in a forest strip. The strike showcased both the vulnerability of traditional armor and the precision of modern drone operators.
Despite the tank being protected by anti-drone nets, metal grids, and reactive armor, the FPV team managed to bypass or penetrate these defenses. The T-72, a legacy platform heavily used by russian forces, was reportedly turned into scrap in a direct hit, illustrating once again that even reinforced armored vehicles are no longer safe from skilled Ukrainian drone operators.
Read more: Ukrainian FPV Drone Destroys russian Bridge-Layer Mid-Operation
