UKR: Russia’s Shahed FPV-carrier threaten far-reaching strikes

BLUF: Russia has started transforming Shahed drones into carriers for small FPV drones that can be controlled using mobile internet, allowing them to carry out far-reaching strikes and clear the way for other drones. 

Instead of using expensive Orlan or Zala intel drones, Russia switches to swarms of cheap Molniya drones with cameras. 

Ukrainian F-16s spent weeks without AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles during winter as partners delayed shipment. 

A Ukrainian team won the NATO TIDE Hackathon among 33 teams from 15 countries developing ODIN AI web app, which helps collect and prioritize intelligence targets.

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Since mid-2025, Russians have been experimenting with using cheap fixed-wing drones as carrier platforms with one main goal in mind — to carry out strikes deep in Ukrainian territory, in areas that had previously been considered a safe distance from the front line. 

They tested out Italmas, Molniya, and Gerber drones as carriers to bring shorter-range FPV drones deep into the rear, and they’ve now begun using Shaheds for this purpose as well, said Yaroslav Filimonov, CEO of EW/SIGINT systems manufacturer KVERTUS.

Shaheds can go 1600 kilometers / 994 miles behind enemy lines, buffering the range of the 30 kilometers // 18 miles FPV drone range.

While there have been only isolated cases so far, there are strong signs of this becoming a standardized, systematic approach, particularly in light of identical mounting hardware found on Shaheds and other UAV types.

The way this works is pretty simple. An FPV drone is attached to the top of a Shahed-type UAV using a drop system. When the carrier flies into an LTE coverage zone, the operator sends a command to release the lock and the FPV drone simply lifts off the platform, a drone expert for a Ukrainian company explained, requesting anonymity for security reasons. 

An FPV drone with a 4G internet connection can maintain contact with the operator not only in Ukraine, but also in neighboring countries. Ukraine's cellular network extends approximately 3 km beyond the border, and past that, it’s possible the modems could switch to roaming and connect to European base stations.

To maintain a connection, FPV drones need stable and fast internet, so it's best to launch them over cities where there’s an abundance of cellular base stations. Such UAVs can fly for only a few minutes, but they have the advantage of being very quick.

Kamikaze FPV copters, for instance, are more maneuverable compared to Shaheds, so they can attack small moving targets like civilian transport, ambulances, police vehicles, vulnerable infrastructure elements, fuel trucks, gas stations, freight trucks, and administrative buildings. They can also destroy air defense systems or structures that get in the way of Shaheds.

An FPV drone has almost no effect on a Shahed's aerodynamics, but can quickly attack recently identified targets such as mobile air defense groups, said Serhiy Gerasymuk, founder of Antidrone Ukraine, a company that manufactures electronic warfare systems.

Russian forces use SIM cards from Ukrainian operators and existing 4G/LTE infrastructure to control drones from Russian territory, sometimes hundreds of kilometers from their targets. The drone automatically switches between base stations in the cellular network, making the communication channel resilient. Russian operators are able to receive quality video for target guidance while masking their traffic as ordinary internet traffic.

Ukraine's Security Service used a similar communication technology in the famous Operation Spiderweb drone offensive. That operation showed that FPV drones can successfully strike targets hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away from the operator even despite signal delays and imperfect video quality over cellular networks, Gerasymuk said.

If mobile internet is too slow or unavailable, Russians can also control FPV drones using a mesh network, in which case the carrier acts as a relay, said Oleksandr Karpiuk from the 59th Assault Brigade of Unmanned Systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He saw this tactic used with Italmas drones in the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions.

See The Arsenal’s coverage of Mesh Networks here. 

Ukraine already limits LTE speeds during Shahed attacks to disrupt enemy operations, but this may not be enough, Karpiuk said.

"One option could be disabling data services in one form or another, but we all understand how painful these actions are for the country," writes Serhii ‘Flash’ Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister.

The reality is there’s no reliable solution for full protection just yet. Experts are considering various measures—such as IMEI control, SIM card limits, and roaming blocks—but these are difficult to implement. It would be much simpler to target the sale of SIM cards by requiring a passport and selling only limited quantities, but this would require legislative changes. And even then, it would become harder for Russians to obtain Ukrainian SIM cards, but not impossible. 

Acoustic sensors can detect Shaheds by sound at a distance of 5–7 km, and FPV drones at 150–450 meters. But it’s hard to say how effectively they would perform in noisy cities or whether they would provide enough time to take cover.

Conventional EW systems are largely ineffective against drones with LTE and MESH modems, as these automatically adapt to jamming by switching channels or base stations, Filimonov said. To counter that, Ukrainian forces would have to create radio-electronic noise across a wide frequency range or use "smart" systems like Mirage, which interfere with the data exchange protocol to disrupt control.

While there are EW systems that can suppress LTE channels to make operators lose control, this can easily backfire in a city, as omnidirectional jamming can disrupt critically important systems such as video surveillance or fire alarm panels, said Gerasymuk.

Cheap interceptor drones and mobile air defense groups also play an important role. A drone disrupted by an EW system can damage important infrastructure or harm civilians when it falls, said Maksym Dybenko of VARTA DroneHunter. It’s safer to shoot down FPV drones with interceptors that fire special rounds with a wide strike area over non-residential zones.

If Russia begins mass-launching FPV drones from Shaheds, residents of Kyiv, Dnipro, and other cities should consider purchasing detectors so they can be alerted to incoming strikes and take shelter. This practice is already common in Kherson, a city located just 1 km from the front line.

Ukrainians are also building tunnels with nets over the roads to protect vehicles from drones in frontline areas, while in Russia's Belgorod region, even multi-story residential buildings are protected with nets. These would provide effective protection in Ukraine's rear as well, provided these preparations are done in time for any attacks. 

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Russian forces have started integrating groups of Molniya drones as a reconnaissance tool instead of using expensive Orlan or Zala reconnaissance UAVs, which can cost around $100,000 each. The move is a response to the development of Ukrainian anti-aircraft drones, which have significantly reduced the service life of expensive reconnaissance drones.

Molniya drones cost around $300 each and are essentially disposable, as they do not have a soft landing system. These new reconnaissance drones are equipped with a ZR10 camera, an AI module from Chinese company SIY, and a mesh modem.

“They are most likely combined into a mesh system that allows for coordination and a better view of the picture,” Kit, an air defense volunteer, told The Arsenal. Orlans or Zalas rise to an altitude of about 8,000-9,000 meters and descend when they need to transmit a clearer image to the camera, making them susceptible to downing by drones or aircraft. 

Molniya drones fly lower, apparently leading Russians to believe they are less likely to be treated as a means of reconnaissance. It’s best to shoot them down before they reach the border, Kit said. 

Ukraine’s F-16 fleet was forced to go without enough missiles to shoot down Russian projectiles for more than three weeks due to an unexplained shortage. It lasted from late November to mid-December, just when Russian forces started to launch massive missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s energy sector. The F-16s had only a few AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles to deal with Russia’s air attacks after supplies from Western partners stopped coming.

The reason for the shortage is unclear, with Reuters reporting only that Kyiv had been told by foreign partners they had no available stocks. 

F-16s are mainly used to cover other aircraft (such as the MiG-29) and to shoot down cruise missiles and sometimes Shahed type drones. They’re ineffective against ballistic missiles, and typically not used to shoot down Shaheds due to the cost of the missile and operation of the aircraft being much more expensive than the drone itself. During the winter attacks, the Russians mainly used drones and ballistics, so the impact of the shortage of missiles for the F-16s was insignificant, according to Kostyantyn Kryvolap, an aviation expert and analyst. 

Bogdan Dolintse, an aviation expert, told The Arsenal he believes the reason for the delay in deliveries could have been the concentration of weapons in the Middle East in preparation for military action against Iran.

Ukrainian officers from the Military Institute of Telecommunication and Information Technologies won first place in the 2026 NATO TIDE Hackathon in Iceland for developing ODIN, an AI system that processes intelligence data. The Hackathon included 33 teams from 15 different countries. 

The winning team, JAM Team, consisted of four participants: Yevhenii Redziuk, Oleksandr Sachuk, Dmytro Ustynov, and Illia Tsiuniak.

The team presented a web app that uses AI agents to process and analyze intelligence data to help military commanders make quicker operational decisions. The AI agents operate with geospatial data and additional text data for each target, and based on this, they determine which targets are priorities, Dmytro Ustynov, senior lecturer of the Department of Computer Science and Intelligent Technologies, told The Arsenal.

“The point of this application is that in modern warfare, the problem is not finding data, but rather its quantity; there is so much of it that solutions are needed to help filter and prioritize it,” Ustynov said.

The UK/EU–Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor initiative is launching to help Ukrainian defense companies enter the UK and the EU market, while connecting them with partners and investors. The program is being implemented in coordination with the UK government,  Dan Danchenko, CEO and Founder of TechConnecta Vertex Ltd told The Arsenal.

The corridor will focus on several innovation areas, including robotics, advanced materials, and soldier systems technologies. To qualify, Ukrainian companies must have at least a prototype, an ongoing development, or a finished product.

According to Danchenko, one of the initiative’s key goals is to help Ukrainian companies overcome barriers to entering Western defense markets, including complex certification and vetting procedures. The idea is also to connect Ukrainian developers with Western companies that already hold defense contracts.

By: Oksana Zabolotna

Acquisition of Used Transport Vehicles by Military Units

Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine №200 dated February 16, 2026

Why it’s important: The amendment expands wartime procurement flexibility by allowing authorized military units to purchase used tactical mobility platforms through simplified procedures. 

These include pickup trucks, motorcycles, and off-road vehicles. This responds to operational needs for rapid deployment, logistics, and/or reconnaissance capabilities while reducing procurement timelines and enabling cost-efficient acquisition during martial law.

Proposals:

Stage: Entered into force on February 16.  

Initiator: The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine

What’s next: Implementation of the resolution.

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