Russian Shahed drone repeaters operating in Kyiv, MoD says
Photo: Russian Shahed-type drone (Getty Images)
Russian Mesh repeaters may be operating in Kyiv, providing Shahed drones with a short-term communication channel for adjusting strikes against targets, according to Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser on the development of technological areas of defense.
"For the entire time of the war, I have never once been wrong in my technical conclusions and forecasts regarding our enemy. Now I insist that the enemy’s Mesh radio repeaters are being activated in Kyiv," "Flash" stressed.
According to him, they may create a short-term communication channel with Shahed drones. The adviser believes this allows the Russian forces to adjust the drones’ flight directly during an attack.
Beskrestnov believes there may be only a few such devices in the capital – between one and three. At the same time, he said, they are quite difficult to detect.
"Such repeaters are difficult to find, but we need to look for them," he wrote.
"Flash" stressed that as long as such devices are operating, it will be difficult to completely shield Kyiv with electronic warfare systems. As one example, he cited the strike on the Security Service of Ukraine's (SBU) building.
“At the moment of the strike, there were no other Shahed repeaters in the sky. I also analyzed other strikes on Kyiv’s bridges and the possibility of establishing long-range Mesh channels from Russia at those moments,” he added.
Beskrestnov also drew attention to photos circulating in the Russian information space showing Ukrainian air defense systems deployed on bridges in the capital. He noted that it is virtually impossible to hide them from the enemy, as tens of thousands of people pass through such sites every day.
According to "Flash", the ability to control Shaheds online poses a threat not only to bridges but also to air defense systems.
He also explained that to accurately hit a specific bridge support or cable, a stable drone control channel is needed right up to the moment of impact.
Beskrestnov added that the Ukrainian side is carefully examining the wreckage of downed drones. According to him, no other "secret" communication systems that could explain the drones’ operation have been identified so far.
On September 29, the State Border Guard Service said that Belarus periodically activates repeaters to boost the signal of Russian drones during attacks on Ukraine.
In June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to dismantle the repeaters.
A few days later, Russian drones stopped flying along the Ukrainian-Belarusian border.
