Russian drones equipped with Starlink spotted over Dnipro
The Russian army has begun systematically using Starlink terminals on long-range strike drones, allowing operators to control them in real time at distances of up to 500 kilometers. Military expert and adviser to the Minister of Defense Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov confirmed on January 26, 2026, that a BM‑35 fuel-powered drone equipped with a satellite terminal was detected over Dnipro.
Flash reported this on Telegram.
Unlike lightweight electric drones such as the Molniya, the BM‑35 is capable of flying long distances while maintaining stable video transmission and targeting accuracy, even amid intensive electronic warfare activity.
The use of a satellite communication channel makes such UAVs largely immune to conventional ground-based electronic warfare systems, as the signal comes directly from space. In addition to the BM‑35, Russia has already begun integrating Starlink terminals into Shahed (Geran) drones, which was recorded on January 24 during an attack on military infrastructure near Kropyvnytskyi.
Experts note that the BM‑35’s fuel engine enables it to strike strategic targets deep inside Ukraine, including Patriot air defense systems and radar stations, under direct manual control by operators located in Russia.
While Russia continues to acquire Western equipment through front companies in the UAE and Singapore, Ukraine is urging SpaceX to take stricter measures to block terminals used by the aggressor. The technological advantage previously provided by Starlink to Ukraine’s Armed Forces is gradually being eroded by Russia’s industrial-scale integration of satellite communications into its strike systems.
Russia continues to escalate the technological dimension of the war, creating an urgent need to develop new methods to counter satellite-controlled drones directly in the air.
Meanwhile, Roman Kostenko, Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, stated that Ukraine must organize countermeasures against Shahed-type kamikaze drones so that they are destroyed while crossing the state border.
Reminder: Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov recently announced the launch of drone assault units within the Armed Forces, based on a new doctrine for UAV warfare.
