On the morning of January 24, Russian occupation forces struck helicopters near Kropyvnytskyi using Shahed-type drones. A distinctive feature of this attack was the use of Starlink satellite terminals to control the drones in real time.
As reported by Hvylya, this was announced by Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to the Minister of Defense on technology.
After examining verification footage, the specialist concluded that the enemy employed manual guidance. The published images show the target lock-on process and trajectory adjustments made by an operator via video link. The absence of other UAVs nearby capable of acting as relays points to the use of a satellite channel.
"I conclude that we are seeing the first use of Starlink-equipped Shaheds. These manually controlled Shaheds flew just above the ground to avoid radar detection," noted Beskrestnov.
According to the expert, this upgrade allows kamikaze drones to bypass radar coverage areas, remaining undetected by air defenses until the moment of impact. The integration of satellite communications transforms the Shahed from an autonomous loitering munition into a high-precision weapon capable of striking dynamic targets under operator control.
"Did I expect this? Yes. Did I warn about it? Yes. Did anyone listen to me? No," the specialist summed up.
Beskrestnov emphasized that his team is already working on countermeasures to this new threat, striving to stay ahead of the enemy's technological solutions.
It should be noted that Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov has become an adviser to Fedorov on technology.
Earlier, intelligence revealed how many Oreshnik missiles Russia has remaining.
