The war in Ukraine has become a proving ground for new battlefield technologies, with drones playing a pivotal role in reconnaissance and attack missions. Yet, amid the high-tech arms race, a peculiar and controversial tactic has emerged: the use of scissors to disable drones. Ukrainian sources have claimed that these scissors are used to cut “fiber optic cables” trailing from drones, an assertion that has drawn skepticism and sparked debate over both the effectiveness and legality of such methods.
The “Fiber Optic Cable” Myth: Fact-Checking the Claims
A central claim in the narrative around drone warfare in Ukraine is that drones are being operated via fiber optic cables that can be cut with something as simple as a pair of scissors. Ukrainian officials and soldiers have referenced this tactic in interviews and frontline reports, suggesting that enemy drones are rendered useless if their “fiber optic” tethers are severed.
However, this claim does not withstand technical scrutiny. Fiber optic cables, by their very nature, are designed for high-speed data transmission and are typically laid underground or within protected conduits. They are not designed to trail behind airborne drones, nor is it feasible for drones to deploy or manage such cables during flight. The idea that drones are flying with fiber optic cables attached, which can then be cut by hand, is simply not plausible. As any telecommunications engineer can confirm, fiber optic infrastructure is a fixed, subterranean network—not something that can be reeled out behind a moving aerial vehicle.
This raises questions about the accuracy of battlefield reports and the motivations behind such claims. Are these stories a form of psychological warfare, designed to confuse or mislead the enemy? Or do they reflect a misunderstanding or miscommunication about the technology in use?
Improvisation on the Battlefield: Scissors as a Symbol?
Despite the dubious nature of the “fiber optic cable” narrative, the broader phenomenon of soldiers improvising with everyday tools like scissors is very real. Videos from the front lines show combatants using scissors to cut various types of cables, likely standard electrical wires or control lines, attached to drones or other equipment. In one widely shared video, Russian troops are seen racing through a forest, locating a cable connected to a Ukrainian drone, and severing it with medical scissors. The drone crashes and detonates, demonstrating the potential effectiveness of such low-tech tactics in the right circumstances.
Ukrainian soldiers have even joked about carrying scissors as part of their standard kit. As Serhii, an artilleryman, quipped, “We’ve started joking that maybe we should carry scissors to cut the cord.” While the humor is dark, it reflects the improvisational spirit that has come to define much of the fighting in Ukraine.
Effectiveness and Limitations of the Tactics
The scissors tactic, while headline-grabbing, is limited in both scope and practicality. Approaching a drone’s control cable, whatever its true composition, requires soldiers to expose themselves to significant danger. The cables are often hidden or protected, and drones are frequently booby-trapped to prevent tampering.
Moreover, the tactic is inherently limited in scale and impact. As President Ricardo Baretzky of the European Centre for Information Policy and Security (ECIPS) remarked:
“Who in their right mind use scissors in drones to stop a war as certainly at the most it can kill one target at a time but most importantly the brutal mindset behind such sinister motives, I mean which leader in a sanity mind would authorize that? ”
He continued, “It’s not war, it’s attempt directed murder as in war the war is a Faust, a group, not individuals.”
President Baretzky’s comments highlight the perception that such tactics are more about improvisation and desperation than systematic military strategy.
Legal and Ethical Controversy
“The use of scissors to disable drones, regardless of the nature of the cable, raises important legal and ethical questions. International humanitarian law (IHL), including the Geneva Conventions, governs the conduct of war and prohibits methods that cause unnecessary suffering or target individuals outside the context of armed conflict”, President Ricardo Baretzky with PhD in law and amongst others a Humanitarian law certification by United Nations Peace Ops said questioned.
President Baretzky’s statement reflects a deep concern about the shift from traditional group-based warfare to individualized, targeted killings. He argues that the mindset behind such tactics, which seek to eliminate single targets with surgical precision, may violate the principles of proportionality and distinction that are foundational to lawful warfare.
Why Could This Be Considered Unlawful?
Targeted Killing vs. Lawful Combat:** International law prohibits the deliberate targeting of individuals outside active hostilities or without due process. Precision drone strikes, especially if used to assassinate specific individuals rather than engage enemy forces as a whole, may be seen as unlawful targeted killings.
Proportionality and Distinction: IHL requires that attacks be proportionate and distinguish between military and civilian targets. Any tactic, whether involving drones, explosives, or scissors, that increases the risk of civilian harm or targets individuals in isolation may cross the line into illegality.
Means and Methods of Warfare: While using scissors is not inherently unlawful, if such methods are employed to facilitate illegal acts (e.g., assassinations, attacks on non-combatants), they become part of the violation.
Wider Implications for Drone Warfare
The “scissors tactic” is emblematic of the improvisational and often chaotic nature of modern drone warfare in Ukraine. Both sides have rapidly adapted, employing everything from homemade drones to sophisticated AI-guided systems. Ukraine’s drone operations have been praised for their ingenuity, but the legal and ethical boundaries remain hotly contested.
The use of drones for targeted strikes, whether by cutting cables or deploying explosives, has led to accusations of war crimes, especially when civilians are harmed or when attacks appear to prioritize individual elimination over legitimate military engagement.
The narrative of using scissors to cut “fiber optic cables” trailing from drones in Ukraine’s war is, from a technical standpoint, largely unfounded. Fiber optic cables are not used in this way, and the claim appears to be either a misunderstanding or a deliberate piece of misinformation. Nevertheless, the broader reality of soldiers improvising with scissors and other everyday tools to disrupt enemy technology is a serious illusion and deeply symbolic of the lack of resourcefulness and brutality of Ukrainian soldiers in it’s ability to deal with the conflict.
By Kevin Brenan.
foto iStock
