Russians manage to install Starlink on Shahed-136 attack drone

During the night attack on 25 September, the Ukrainian defence forces shot down 28 of the 32 drones, but among the targets destroyed, one Shahed-136 drone was found to have a Starlink satellite link from SpaceX.

Here's What We Know

The publication notes that thanks to the installation of Starlink, the drone has the ability to transmit information and change tasks over a long distance. In addition, if they equip Shahed with cameras, they will be able to receive images. In other words, they are trying to turn it into a reconnaissance UAV.

In fact, it was only a matter of time before long-range UAVs would be equipped with Starlink. The enemy had previously experimented with 4G modems with Ukrainian SIM cards.

Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation, also said that the Russians use such "shaheds" for reconnaissance.

"The information that Russia has installed Starlink on the Shahed-136, which provides an unlimited communication range for a UAV flying at 2,000 km, proves what I said earlier - the Russian Federation is now using the Shahed as long-range reconnaissance drones. They are also used as strike drones, but the flights of Shaheds are single, constant circles, carried out for reconnaissance purposes," he explained.

Source: Defence Express