Post #4106108
2026-07-26 07:04 UTC
Not sure how I've been missing out on this in the news. But the new thing in Russia and Ukraine is drones that carry a huge spool of fiber optic cable. That way they don't communicate over signals which are easy to intercept or block. And I guess the range is no longer limited by signal strength, but instead by the size of the fiber optic spool. The examples I saw have 50 kms of fiber optic per spool!
The side effect of this, is both the countryside and cities are full of old fiber optic cables from all the drones which have flown. The cables are only used once, and rendered useless once the drone explodes or is shot down. #Ukraine #Russia #Drone
Replies (2)
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@charette@mstdn.ca 2026-07-26 07:14
Birds are now using the discarded fiber optics to build their nests.
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@fedops@fosstodon.org 2026-07-26 08:29
@charette@mstdn.ca they're actually cutting back on their use now that more autonomous systems are available. Still, microplastics for the next generations. This stuff gets broken up and plowed into the ground. 🤬