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Russia Builds “Drone Relay Chains” to Hit Ukraine’s Rear Areas, Defense Adviser Says
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Russian forces are increasingly using mesh network technology to remotely control drones, enabling the creation of airborne relay chains between UAVs equipped with radio modems, according to Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s Minister of Defense.
“Remote control and reconnaissance activity of ‘Shahed’ and ‘Gerber’ drones using mesh modems is becoming increasingly relevant. We are recording UAV flights with mesh modems deeper and deeper into our rear,” Beskrestnov wrote in his post on Facebook on April 28.
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According to him, the operational range of such controlled drones has expanded significantly. “The zone of operation of controlled ‘Shaheds’ from the north reaches Kyiv, from the west—Poltava, and from the south—Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, and Mykolaiv,” he added.
Beskrestnov explained that the mesh system allows drones to form a communication chain, relaying signals between each other in flight.
“The system is built in such a way. On the enemy’s territory, special long-range communication antennas are installed on elevated positions and masts. Communication with a drone can be at a distance of up to 220 kilometers. But for communication to work, the drone must be very high. Otherwise, the curvature of the Earth will not allow a communication channel to be established,” he said.
He described a recent incident in which he was targeted by Russian drones, saying that two jet-powered Shahed drones were circling near his home while two more were approaching from several kilometers away. He noted that the incoming drones were flying at an altitude of 2,200 meters at the time of the strike, which, based on basic calculations, would allow communication only within a range of about 200 kilometers.
Excluding Belarus as a possible location, he said this made it possible to identify the likely source of control. According to him, the two drones at higher altitude acted as relays, transmitting signals to two others that descended to carry out the attack.
He noted that such relay chains can be extended but come with limitations. “Such a chain of intermediary UAVs for transmission can be long, but practice has shown that as the number of relays increases, speed decreases and delay increases. Therefore, the enemy uses no more than 2–3 radio signal relays,” he said.
Beskrestnov added that drones often operate in close proximity during strikes to strengthen the signal and make it harder to jam. “At the moment of the strike, ‘Shaheds’ try to stay close to each other in order to create a strong radio signal, which is more difficult to suppress,” he explained.
He also pointed to the scale of operations behind the system. “On the other side, a large group of pilots and specialists from Alabuga are working against us using this technology. There are about 40 pilots alone. They already have both experience and tactics. One of my tasks is to think about how to organize countermeasures against this technology,” he said.
According to Beskrestnov, traditional electronic warfare systems are not always effective in such scenarios. “Electronic warfare that suppresses satellite navigation does not work if the pilot controls the UAV manually using navigation instruments,” he added.
At the same time, Japanese aerospace company Terra Drone is increasing output of Ukrainian-designed interceptor drones while also planning investments in next-generation jet-powered systems, marking a growing partnership between Japanese investors and Ukraine’s fast-developing defense technology sector.
Speaking at a presentation attended by a UNITED24 Media correspondent on April 28, Terra Drone CEO Toru Tokushige said the company is ramping up production of its Terra A1 and Terra A2 interceptor drones, with manufacturing in Ukraine carried out by the local company Amazing Drones.
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