Direct proof of use
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence publicly identified the Stalker XO-10 in May 2025 as part of TechEx's Stalker fiber-optic FPV drone series used in Russia's war against Ukraine. The ministry said the Stalker drones had been codified since early 2025 and were actively deployed by combat units, with their development informed by hundreds of combat flights and feedback from frontline operators.
For the XO-10 specifically, the ministry described a 10-inch fiber-optic-controlled drone optimized to destroy enemy vehicles, equipment, and personnel at forward positions while operating under intense electronic interference. dev.ua's same-day report on the MoD statement said Ukraine's Defence Forces had already flown hundreds of sorties with Stalker drones and repeated the XO-10's forward-position strike role.
Sources: Stalker drone - Tracks and strikes despite EW, dev.ua Stalker MoD details
Timeline
TechEx reporting and subsequent MoD coverage place the Stalker line's codification and combat-unit use in the late-2024 to early-2025 period. Online.UA reported that TechEx received its first codified sample on 25 November 2024 after beginning the codification process in the fall. The MoD then said in May 2025 that Stalker drones had been codified since early 2025 and were already being used by combat units.
The available public sources do not name a specific brigade, province, or individual strike incident for the XO-10. They support a theater-level finding that Ukrainian units fielded the XO-10 for front-line FPV strike missions during the ongoing full-scale phase of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
Sources: Online.UA TechEx mass production interview, Stalker drone - Tracks and strikes despite EW, dev.ua Stalker MoD details
Narrative
The XO-10 filled the smaller front-line role in TechEx's Stalker family. The MoD contrasted it with the larger XO-15: the XO-10 was presented for targets at forward positions, while the XO-15 was associated with support-zone and tactical-depth targets such as command posts, artillery, air-defense systems, and electronic-warfare assets.
Its conflict role was tied to fiber-optic control rather than radio control. The MoD stated that fiber-optic FPV drones had found a role in the war because of their resilience against electronic-warfare measures, and TechEx's product page lists the XO-10 as a single-use fiber-linked FPV drone with a 10,000 m maximum flight range, 2 kg official payload, 12 minutes endurance with maximum payload, and a universal warhead mounting location.
Online.UA's TechEx interview described the Stalker line as using fiber-optic cable for communication and said Ukrainian pilots were successfully using the drones while sharing operational results with TechEx. The same article identified the XO-10 as more effective for attacking and destroying enemy targets on the front line, matching the MoD's public description of its battlefield role.
Sources: Stalker drone - Tracks and strikes despite EW, Stalker XO-10 - Fiber-linked FPV Drone, Online.UA TechEx mass production interview
