Control via Telegram? Ukrainian expert debunks claims about Shahed drones
Illustrative photo: An expert denied the assumption that the Shaheds were controlled via Telegram (Getty Images)
The Russian army is constantly improving its Shahed-type drones. However, controlling these drones via a mobile network is pure science fiction, said aviation expert Valerii Romanenko in a comment to RBC-Ukraine's YouTube channel.
The expert noted that the Shahed operates on a "fire-and-forget" principle, meaning the operator has no connection with the drone once it is launched.
"How would they even do that? Via satellite? But the Shahed has no satellite communication system. It has simple navigation. However, there is no satellite communication, because the Shahed would be more expensive than two cruise missiles if such a system were installed on it. There's no such capability, and in fact, this claim about the Shahed's control systems has already been debunked," Romanenko said.
He noted that there have been reports that some Russian drones, not Shaheds, but decoys or reconnaissance UAVs, had communication equipment on board with the Ukrainian mobile system.
If such systems were indeed installed on Shaheds, countering them would be quite simple.
"We know the sites of the Shahed launch. Just shut down mobile service in those regions. Where would they go then? Would they even have the range to get back on target? After that, you could track their path and disable mobile internet region by region. I don’t know how quickly this can be done, I’m not an expert in mobile networks, but intuitively, it seems like a viable way to fight Shaheds if this technology is implemented," Romanenko said.
According to him, the main upgrade in Shaheds is their improved resistance to electronic warfare (EW).
The Economist reported today that Russian drones have been updated with a new control algorithm using Telegram bots. Ukrainian engineers reportedly found a note inside one of the drones.
We also reported that Russian long-range Shahed-136 drones are now being fitted with new 90-kg warheads - both domestically produced and of Iranian origin.
