Ukrainian deep strikes on military targets cost Russia $ 10 billion in five months
Ukraine’s Armed Forces have inflicted over $10 billion in damages on Russian territory through targeted drone strikes between January and May 2025, according to Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Ukrainian “DeepStrike” drone operations caused direct damages at $1.3 billion from destroyed oil refining facilities, energy infrastructure, logistics networks, and transport systems, Suspilne reports.
The larger portion of claimed losses—$9.5 billion—represents indirect economic impact from enterprise shutdowns, transportation network disruptions, and blocked logistics chains following the strikes.
Ukrainian officials assess the cost-effectiveness of their DeepStrike operations at a ratio of 1 to 15, meaning each dollar spent generates approximately $15 in Russian losses, according to military calculations. The program utilizes drones capable of autonomous operation across long distances while maintaining precision targeting capabilities.
Syrskyi indicated the deep-strike operations will continue with expanded scope.
“We will increase the scale and depth,” he told journalists, emphasizing that Ukrainian forces target “purely military objects” rather than civilians.
Ukraine dominates in FPV drones, Russia — fiber-optic drones
Syrskyi also acknowledged that while Ukraine maintains superiority in FPV (first-person view) drone quantities, Russia gained ground in fiber-optic controlled drones, which are connected to their operators via cable.
“Unfortunately, they have an advantage here both in quantity and in the range of their application,” Syrskyi stated. “We have examples where fiber-optic drones fly distances up to 40 km (24 miles). We are currently catching up in this process.”
Syrskyi noted that Ukraine also develops its own fiber-optic capabilities, producing drones equipped with 20-km (12 miles) cables.
This cable-based connection makes fiber-optic drones immune to electronic warfare tactics such as jamming and signal interception, which commonly disrupt or take control of FPV drones.
However, fiber-optic drones require reinforced frames and upgraded motors to handle the weight and drag of the cable spool, and their maneuverability is somewhat limited due to the risk of the cable snagging on obstacles.