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Russia Unveils New Mothership Drone, Operated via Starlink Despite Sanctions
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russian defense developers have presented a new drone system that can be controlled through Starlink terminals or mobile networks, despite the service being officially unavailable in Russia.
According to the monitoring community VD: Rozvidka Voroha, the drone RD-8 was showcased at a recent defense exhibition by the Russian company Valkyrie Design Bureau.
The platform is designed to function not only as a reconnaissance drone but also as a “mothership” capable of carrying and releasing smaller FPV drones.
The RD-8 has a wingspan of 3.8 meters and is powered by a hybrid system with two electric motors and a small gasoline tank. Its maximum takeoff weight is up to 35 kilograms, with a flight duration of up to 4.5 hours and a range of 150 kilometers.
The drone can carry two FPV units, each equipped with a three-kilogram warhead. Reconnaissance variants are fitted with day and night cameras, including a thermal imaging system with a 640×512 pixel sensor.
The company also advertises larger platforms such as the RD-12, with a five-meter wingspan and a flight time of up to 20 hours in reconnaissance configuration. The RD-12 is designed to operate at altitudes of up to five kilometers and has a maximum range of 800 kilometers. Payload capacity is listed at 20 kilograms.
Starlink terminals are banned in Russia, but VD: Rozvidka Voroha and open-source monitoring point to an active black market that supplies them to military users.
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Terminals are often purchased abroad—primarily in Europe—and shipped through third countries such as the United Arab Emirates. Sales are advertised on Telegram, with prices starting at around $1,000 for equipment and activation.
Sellers provide instructions on avoiding deactivation, including registering terminals with Ukrainian or European data. Chat groups reportedly include videos of Russian soldiers already using Starlink in the field.
Earlier, Ukraine’s defense forces downed a Russian Shahed-136 drone equipped with a Starlink terminal. Photos showed the satellite antenna with visible serial numbers, suggesting potential ways to trace supply channels. Analysts noted that Starlink could turn the Shahed into a reconnaissance and strike platform with long-range control and real-time data transmission.
