Russia increasingly using Shahed drones in manual control mode, expert says
hoto: Russia is increasingly using Shahed drones in manual control mode (Getty Images)
Russian forces are increasingly moving away from mass Shahed drone attacks in favor of isolated but more sophisticated strikes using manually controlled drones, according to Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to the President of Ukraine on the development of defense technologies.
"Shaheds are increasingly shifting away from mass attacks toward isolated but more sophisticated strikes using manual control," Flash said.
He also shared a video showing a Shahed drone descending to an altitude of just 22 meters (72 feet) before striking its target in an apparent attempt to evade Ukrainian radar systems and interceptor drones.
The #Shahed drone descended to an altitude of just 22 meters (72 feet) before striking its target. pic.twitter.com/tsbB8e6oiI
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) July 18, 2026
"The idea was to get below the detection range of our radar systems and interceptor drones. But our guys handled it. Every move the enemy makes requires us to quickly adapt our countermeasures," the presidential adviser said.
As previously reported, Russia has been actively upgrading its drones and introducing swarm technology. This allows drones to alter their routes during air attacks.
Russian forces have also begun using the new BM-35 drone based on Starlink technology in the Pokrovsk area. It is similar to the Shahed drone but is smaller in size.
