During the recent attacks on Kyiv, Ukrainian experts examined the wreckage of destroyed Shahed suicide drones. It turned out that the Russian army is already massively using new modifications of drones with mobile modems, reinforced warheads, thermal imaging cameras, and modern antennas for satellite navigation.
During the recent attacks on Kyiv, Ukrainian experts examined the wreckage of destroyed Shahed suicide drones. It turned out that the Russian army is already massively using new modifications of drones with mobile modems, reinforced warheads, thermal imaging cameras, and modern antennas for satellite navigation.
During the recent massive shelling of the capital, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the SBU were able to examine fragments of Shahed drones. They were taken to a specialized laboratory, where experts studied both mechanical components and electronics. The conclusions are alarming: the enemy is actively modernizing its drones. All new versions of Shahed are equipped with GSM modems with SIM cards — now the drones can connect to Ukrainian mobile networks. This allows the operator to remotely monitor the flight, see whether the drone has been shot down, and even adjust the route.
Experts from the Kyiv Research Institute of Forensic Expertise of the Ministry of Justice confirm that modems with connection to GSM networks began to be installed en masse about four to five months ago. Previously, there were cases with individual trackers, but now such equipment is in every new drone. Traces of equipment taped with tape indicate that the Russians are trying to mask these modules, which transmit telemetry in real time. Some of them were registered in the Kyivstar networks, as well as with Kazakh operators.
Most of the electronics are of foreign origin. At the same time, according to experts, the Russians are actively working on a complete replacement of Western electronics, in particular by cooperating with Chinese manufacturers. New versions of the drones have Chinese chips from the BMTI company, which the Russians began using earlier this year.
The laboratory also confirmed that the Shahed warhead has been significantly increased — up to 90 kg. This allows for even more powerful strikes on infrastructure and critical facilities. In addition, fragments of drones indicate the use of thermobaric elements and cumulative warheads. The changes also affected the design of the hull itself: it became more fragmented in order to cause as much damage as possible when exploded.
Another dangerous innovation is multi-channel antennas for satellite navigation. If previously drones had 4-channel units, now 12 or even 16-channel antennas are installed on Shahed. This significantly complicates the work of Ukrainian electronic warfare equipment, because the drone receives more accurate coordinates and is better protected from attempts to substitute or jam the signal. Experts indicate that new, more complex means of countermeasures are needed to fully neutralize such a drone.
It is also noted that the detected drones are capable of partial evasion from air defenses thanks to a combination of satellite navigation and GSM communication. This technology has already been used on the Russian Zala drones, and it seems that it has been adapted on a large scale for the Shahed.
