Russian military forces have begun employing a new tactic to improve the controllability of their attack drones operating deep within Ukrainian territory. Enemy intelligence services are attempting to establish a network of ground-based signal relays by recruiting local residents, particularly the elderly, to install the equipment.
Radio technology specialist and military expert Sergey "Flash" Beskrestnov discussed the development in an interview with journalist Yuri Romanenko.
According to the expert, the adversary is seeking ways to ensure stable connectivity for their drones—such as "Shaheds" and "Gerberas"—as they traverse Ukrainian airspace. To achieve this, the enemy is attempting to exploit the trust of the local population to deploy special modems on the ground.
How the recruitment scheme works
Russian agents or intermediaries look for vacant houses with electricity or approach elderly residents, offering financial rewards (approximately $100–200) to host a small device.
"We are recording that the Russians are looking for opportunities to install these modems on the ground... They target the elderly because they tend to be more trusting of requests from others," Beskrestnov noted.
The cover story can vary, ranging from helping "our guys" to supposedly installing telecommunications equipment. All that is required of the recruit is to place the device—for example, on the roof of a shed—and plug it into a standard 220-volt outlet.
What the device looks like
"Flash" demonstrated what the hardware looks like. It is a kit consisting of a power supply, the modem itself, and antennas. Often, the entire assembly is concealed within an inconspicuous plastic box for camouflage.
"It can all be crammed into a single plastic box with the antennas inside. They simply ask for it to be placed on a shed and plugged into a socket," the expert warned.
The danger of the technology
Unlike classic radio communications, where antennas are raised as high as possible, these relays can remain close to the ground because the drones are flying overhead.
"All we need here is open space so we have a line of sight to it [the drone]. This is a modem that acts as an assistant, creating a coverage network for passing UAVs," Beskrestnov explained.
Even a single device on the ground can provide a control channel for an entire swarm of drones within a radius of about 20 kilometers. This allows them to bypass Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) zones and strike with greater precision.
Call for vigilance
Sergey Beskrestnov emphasized that security services cannot physically check every village or hamlet, making public assistance critical. He urged Ukrainians to warn their parents and grandparents about the danger.
"We don't want to see someone go to prison for a long time on treason charges simply because they didn't understand what they were doing. If you receive offers or requests from suspicious strangers to install and connect some equipment... always try to verify the information," the military expert stressed.
Anyone discovering suspicious devices or receiving such offers should immediately contact the police or the SBU.
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