March 12, 2024 Shoot down a Russian Guerin (Shahed) weapon that was roaming in Ukraine.Photo credit: Oleksandr Fedyenko
Ukrainian forces shot down a loitering Russian Shahid-136 projectile.
Photos of the remains of the upgraded drone posted online show it was equipped with additional equipment: a video camera and communications equipment.
Russian drone operators have independently upgraded the Shahed-136 drone, equipping it with a video camera and a modem to connect to Ukraine's mobile network to transmit live video.
The fact that this is a self-made modernization is evident from the quality of the work done and the installation of equipment with screws and adhesive tape.
With such drones, Russia is likely trying to determine the launch sites of Ukrainian anti-aircraft missiles and monitor their flight direction in case of spoofing by electronic warfare systems.
The drone is painted with black paint to camouflage it against the night sky, and its tail number has the Russian letter Ы, which indirectly indicates that it was produced in Russia.
You can read more about the production of these drones in the Russian Federation in the article “Child labor, money and Iranian spare parts: how is the Russian “Shahed” factory located?”
The Ukrainian military has previously recorded Russian Shakhed drones equipped with homemade router-based communication devices, and shot down one of these drones in November.
The accompanying communication module consisted of a 3D-printed plastic container, in the center of which was embedded an Alcatel 3G modem with a SIM card from a Ukrainian carrier. For signal transmission he had two antennas connected.
The module was not connected to the on-board power grid and was powered by a household rechargeable battery connected to the module.
During the flight, such a module can connect to the Ukrainian mobile network and broadcast the necessary data flow to the Internet through it. This will be both a location geo-tracker and a video transmitter.
Recall that last month, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force acknowledged the capabilities and successful use of the Pokrova system, which is capable of intercepting Russian attack drones.
The Pokrova EW system uses spoofing technology to replace satellite signals and misleading drone navigation devices. If you deviate from your route, you will either fly past your target or fall unscathed.