Solar-powered ambush drones can wait for targets like land mines

Russian ambush drones have been seen in Ukraine fitted with cheap solar panels, which enable them to lurk indefinitely, waiting for a target to come near

By David Hambling

29 July 2025

A Russian ambush drone with solar panels seen in Ukraine

Serhii Beskrestnov

Small racing quadcopters carrying explosives, known as first-person-view drones or FPVs, have become the dominant weapon in the war in Ukraine. Now, some are fitted with solar cells so they can wait for extended periods to ambush targets, turning them into a new type of land mine.

“The drone can sit by a road or choke point and when it acquires its target, it can then do a quick sprint to the target,” says Robert Bunker at US consultancy firm C/O Futures.

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Drone versus drone combat is bringing a new kind of warfare to Ukraine

Drone ambushes, where the devices land beside a road or on a building and wait for a target, are already commonly carried out by both Russian and Ukrainian forces. But even with their engines turned off, their camera and radio communications drain the drones’ battery, limiting waiting time to a few hours at best.

Now, Russian FPV ambush drones have been spotted with solar charging panels. They can’t power a drone in flight, but will fuel its other electronics. Ukrainian drone warfare expert Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov shared images of the solar set-up on his Telegram channel to warn of the new development.

The panels are sold as camping supplies for about $50, fitting over a backpack to recharge phones and other mobile devices. Hobbyist sites on the internet already show how to fit solar cells to drones.