After access to the Starlink satellite system was limited, Russia began increasingly relying on alternative methods, such as mesh networking, to control drones. That is already evident in recent attacks across northern Ukraine, where there are signs of attempts to leverage communications infrastructure on Belarusian territory, aviation expert and reserve officer Anatoly Khrapchinsky told Kanal 24.
According to him, base stations have been pre-positioned in Belarus to maintain links with strike drones, particularly Shahed-type UAVs, News.Az reports, citng foreign media.
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The approach builds a kind of signal relay chain: the first drone receives commands via cell towers, then acts as a repeater for other aircraft, creating a resilient control network even without direct access to satellite channels.
This setup significantly complicates Ukraine’s air defenses, as drones become less dependent on traditional communications channels and can operate more autonomously.
Khrapchinsky stresses that Ukraine should not respond by fully shutting down mobile service. A more effective path is to build a comprehensive countermeasure system. First, expand electronic warfare capabilities that can suppress a wide range of signals and navigation.
He believes Ukraine needs to return to the large-scale Pokrova EW concept, which envisioned creating continuous radar coverage. Such a system should incorporate multiple sensors—from classic radars to acoustic and visual detectors—and ensure oversight of key avenues, including borders and approaches to critical infrastructure.
The expert also emphasizes the need to establish “protective zones” around strategic sites, with pre-deployed communications jamming and threat-detection assets. That would enable responses not after impact, but as drones approach.
Khrapchinsky also flags a systemic issue within Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex: the lack of a unified strategy. Many companies, he says, operate in silos without a clear sense of shared objectives. That leads to incompatible solutions and slows technology adoption.
He points to Western countries, where the state sets clear technical requirements and funds specific developments. Ukraine, he says, should do the same: synchronize manufacturers’ efforts, streamline access to European markets, and create clear rules of the road for the defense sector.
