Direct proof of use
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence reported on 30 May 2025 that Stalker fiber-optic FPV drones from TechEx had been codified since early 2025 and were actively deployed by combat units in Russia's war against Ukraine. The same report identified the Stalker XO-15 as the 15-inch member of the family and described it as the model suited for strikes in support zones and tactical depth.
The Ministry of Defence described the XO-15 target set as rear command posts, towed and self-propelled artillery, air-defense systems, electronic-warfare assets, and fortified positions. Online.UA later reported that Ukrainian pilots were using Stalker XO-10 and XO-15 drones and sharing operational results with TechEx, while dev.ua reproduced the Ministry of Defence's XO-15 role description and listed conflict-relevant range and payload figures.
Sources: Ukraine MoD Stalker drone report, Online.UA TechEx Stalker production interview, dev.ua MoD-derived Stalker details
Timeline
TechEx's chief engineer told Online.UA that the company received its first codified sample on 25 November 2024 after beginning the Ministry of Defence process in the fall. By 30 May 2025, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence said Stalker-series drones had been codified since early 2025 and were already being used by combat units.
The available public record gives a fielding window and mission profile rather than a named strike. It supports active Ukrainian combat-unit deployment by May 2025, but it does not identify a specific brigade, battlefield location, target hit, or individual sortie for the XO-15.
Sources: Ukraine MoD Stalker drone report, Online.UA TechEx Stalker production interview
Narrative
The XO-15 appears in the conflict as a Ukrainian domestic fiber-optic FPV strike drone, not as a transferred foreign system. TechEx presents the XO-15 as a 15-inch drone with fiber-optic control, extended range, and enhanced payload capacity, while the Ministry of Defence connects that design to battlefield use under heavy electronic-warfare conditions.
Within the Stalker family, public Ukrainian sources distinguish the XO-15 from the smaller XO-10 by mission depth and load. The XO-10 is described for frontline vehicles, equipment, and personnel, while the XO-15 is described for support-zone and tactical-depth targets such as command posts, artillery, air-defense, and electronic-warfare systems. TechEx's product page lists a 15,000 m maximum range and a 3 kg maximum payload; Online.UA and dev.ua report a higher 3.5 kg combat-load figure in their coverage.
Sources: Ukraine MoD Stalker drone report, TechEx Stalker XO-15 product page, Online.UA TechEx Stalker production interview, dev.ua MoD-derived Stalker details
