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Russia May Have Used Starlink-Guided Shahed Drones for the First Time, Ukrainian Official Says
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russian forces may have used Starlink-guided Shahed attack drones for the first time during a strike near Kropyvnytskyi, according to Serhii Beskrestnov, widely known by the call sign “Flash,” serving as an adviser to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on January 25.
The attack took place on January 24 and targeted helicopters in the area.
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According to Beskrestnov, technical indicators suggest the drones were not relying on traditional relay UAVs to maintain control, pointing instead to satellite-based connectivity.
“We see automatic target acquisition and manual guidance using live video. But there were no UAVs nearby to create a mesh radio network. I conclude that we are seeing the first use of Shaheds controlled via Starlink,” Beskrestnov said.
He added that the drones were flown at extremely low altitude, likely to avoid detection by air-defense radar systems.
“These manually controlled Shaheds were flying almost at ground level so they would not be detected by radar,” he said.
Beskrestnov also released video footage he said shows the strike in progress, including the final approach of the drones toward their targets.
In a longer statement, the adviser said he had anticipated this development and had warned about it previously.
“These are the challenges our team will have to deal with. And we will work ahead of the curve,” he concluded.
If confirmed, the use of satellite-linked control would represent a significant shift in how Shahed-type drones are employed, potentially allowing operators to guide them manually over long distances while bypassing traditional electronic-warfare countermeasures.
Earlier, Russian defense developers presented a new drone system that can be controlled through Starlink terminals or mobile networks, despite the service being officially unavailable in Russia.
