Ukrainian drone operations squeezed by fiber optic cable shortage triggered by AI data center buildouts

Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine sparked a new era of drone warfare. Russian invaders first used drones with fiber-optic tethers to combat electronic warfare on the front lines, but both sides now use these jam-proof drones. Against that backdrop, the AI data center buildout is making it harder for Ukraine to buy the fiber-optic spools that it needs to continue scaling its drone manufacturing capabilities. A research and development representative for BlueBird Tech, a Ukrainian defense firm specializing in drones, told Ars Technica in an interview that prices of fiber optic cables have risen around six to 10 times in the past couple of years as AI data center demand soaks up more and more of the supply of this resource.

According to that interview, It’s estimated that Ukraine and Russia are producing around 50,000 fiber optic drones monthly, with each drone capable of ranges of up to 62 miles. But Ukraine has only been able to acquire 72 miles of fiber optic cable from Chinese suppliers during August 2025, whereas Russia imported a whopping 328,000 miles during that same month. It was estimated that Russia acquired 37 million miles of fiber during the entirety of 2025, accounting for over 10% of the global production.

What makes matters worse for Ukrainian defenders is that there is an estimated 111-million-mile shortfall in fiber optic cable supply across the world, adding to the various shortages that the data center industry has faced in recent years. Aside from the material shortfall, Ukraine faces trade barriers in acquiring more fiber. The BlueBird representative claimed that some Chinese companies have outright refused to sell Ukraine fiber optic cables.

China is the primary supplier of this material, so it’s easier for Russia to obtain them through its massive land border with the country. While Ukraine could purchase fiber optic cables from suppliers located in other countries, that's not much of an alternative. The BlueBird rep notes: "there can be intermediaries in other countries, and prices can differ depending on the country and the purchasing route. But in the end, China remains the main source of the fiber optic material we are talking about.”

There has also been talk of producing fiber optic cables domestically in Ukraine, but such manufacturing requires specially trained personnel who must practice on the already limited supply of fiber optic cables. Even if manufacturers automate production, they still require experienced personnel who can oversee the line and ensure the quality of the final product.

The data center build out has been causing all kinds of shortages. We’ve seen supply shortfalls in GPUs, memory chips, and even PCBs, but there’s also shortages in other seemingly unrelated industries like power infrastructure, optical transceivers, and even in critical skilled labor like electricians. This overwhelming demand has started affecting other industries not related to computing, like cars, home construction, and now, fiber optic attack drones.

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