Russia links strike drones into mesh networks mid-flight

Russia has begun linking long-range strike drones into mesh networks while they are still in the air, significantly complicating their interception and electronic suppression.

This was reported by Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda.

According to Ihnat, the new tactic allows a single drone to simultaneously perform the functions of a reconnaissance, strike, and relay drone, passing information down the chain to the other aircraft.

“That is precisely why they fly one after another… Russian drones can be linked via a mesh network, and in this way information can reach the operator,” Ihnat said.

At the same time, Russia is equipping its drones with more expensive, higher-resolution cameras. According to Ihnat, this allows operators to examine terrain in greater detail and use each drone for different tasks.

“The use of mesh networks is indeed taking place. This is certainly very dangerous,” he said.

Ihnat also noted that Ukraine does not yet know whether Russia is using cellular towers to relay signals. Drones are frequently observed flying long distances in chains along the border with Belarus, so “nothing can be ruled out,” he added, noting that intelligence must confirm the existence of such relay points. As Euromaidan Press notes, the further Russia moves its control channels away from the front line, the harder they become to jam.

Jet drones and base expansion

The upgrade in networking capabilities comes amid a sharp rise in the use of jet-powered drones. According to Ihnat, Russia launched around 350 such drones in June, 1,500 in July, and more than 2,800 in August. In September, Ukraine was intercepting only about 60% of jet drones, compared with more than 90% of previous models, he told Reuters.

At Russia’s Tsymbulova drone base in the Oryol region, new shelters, launch pads, and storage facilities have appeared over the past four weeks. This was reported by the OSINT channel Strategic Aviation, citing satellite imagery. It estimates that Geran-5 jet drones now account for around 75% of all drones launched against Kyiv, compared with only about 10% a month ago.

Chinese engines

Some of Russia’s newest drones are fitted with Chinese engines. FlightGlobal reported that a captured Geran-4 was equipped with a Telefly TF-TJ2000A turbojet engine. Ukrainska Pravda specified that recent batches of Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones use the same engine, which is assembled at Russia’s Alabuga production facility. Fox News wrote that these faster drones with Chinese engines pose a serious threat to Ukraine’s air defense system.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Kyiv has no “antidote” to the new drones. Meduza noted that Ukraine has already shot down several such drones, but doing so at scale could cost billions of dollars.