Ukrainian drone makers are adapting to higher optical-fiber costs as battlefield demand competes with AI data centers for a constrained global supply.
Fiber-connected drones keep their control link through a physical cable, making them resistant to radio jamming. Ukraine and Russia have reportedly produced about 50,000 such drones per month in recent years, turning many miles of fiber into a single-use battlefield consumable. Russia’s 2025 purchases alone were reported at more than 37 million miles, over 10% of global production.
At the same time, data-center construction is increasing demand for the same broad category of material. Market researcher TrendForce expects a worldwide optical-fiber shortfall of 111 million miles in 2026. A representative of Ukrainian manufacturer BlueBird Tech told Ars Technica that fiber prices rose roughly six- to tenfold from 2025 to 2026, though the worst shortage eased after March.
Ukrainian producers remain dependent on Chinese raw fiber but are increasingly winding drone-sized spools themselves. That can lower transport costs and improve quality control after defects in finished imports. Fiber drones still cost more, require specialized pilots and leave trails across terrain, so conventional radio-controlled drones continue to make up the larger share of battlefield use.