Direct proof of use
The Stalker XO-15 MAX appears in this conflict through documented Ukrainian use of the Stalker fiber-optic FPV family and its XO-15 branch. On 30 May 2025, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence reported that Stalker drones had been codified since early 2025 and were actively deployed by combat units in Russia's war against Ukraine.
The same Ministry of Defence report identifies the XO-15 as the longer-range, heavier-payload Stalker model for strikes against fortified positions and support-zone targets, including rear command posts, artillery, air-defense systems, and electronic-warfare assets. Online.UA's July 2025 TechEx feature likewise says Ukrainian pilots were using Stalker XO-10 and XO-15 drones, with the XO-15 most often used against supply-line, rear command-post, artillery, air-defense, and electronic-warfare targets.
Sources: Ukraine MoD Stalker drone report, TechEx production interview on Stalker drones
Timeline
Online.UA reports that TechEx received its first codified sample on 25 November 2024 after beginning the certification process in the fall. Ukraine's Ministry of Defence then described Stalker drones as codified from early 2025 and active with combat units by 30 May 2025.
The XO-15 MAX product page was publicly available in 2026 with a 20 km listed range, 2 kg maximum payload, fiber-optic module, cable spool, battery unit, and options such as thermal imaging and target acquisition. That page supports the MAX configuration, while the direct conflict-use claims remain supported at the Stalker and XO-15 branch level.
Sources: Ukraine MoD Stalker drone report, TechEx production interview on Stalker drones, TechEx Stalker XO-15 MAX product page
Narrative
Stalker-series drones are Ukrainian fiber-optic FPV strike UAVs developed by TechEx for operation in electronic-warfare-heavy conditions. Ukraine's Ministry of Defence describes the family as using fiber-optic control and battlefield feedback from combat units, and says TechEx was focused on scaling production of the XO-10 and XO-15 models.
Within the family, the XO-15 branch is presented as the larger tactical-depth model. The Ministry of Defence says the XO-15 has extended range and increased combat payload capacity compared with the XO-10, while Online.UA reports XO-15 use against supply lines, rear command posts, artillery positions, air-defense systems, and electronic-warfare systems. TechEx's XO-15 MAX page places the MAX variant in the same 15-inch fiber-optic branch, with a 20 km maximum flight range and a 2 kg payload.
No public source used for this record separately identifies a combat sortie by the exact XO-15 MAX designation. The conflict-use claim is therefore limited to Stalker-family and XO-15-branch employment by Ukrainian units during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, with the MAX page supplying configuration context for this cataloged model.
Sources: Ukraine MoD Stalker drone report, TechEx production interview on Stalker drones, TechEx Stalker XO-15 MAX product page
