Russia Deploys Unknown Drone Model With Mobile Network Control

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has identified an unrecognized model of a Russian drone that uses a mobile internet network for control.

This was reported by the official website of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) for detecting foreign components in Russian products – war-sanctions.

According to the DIU, the new drone is being actively used by Russian forces in various sectors. In addition to reconnaissance functions, it is also used as a strike drone and as a decoy aerial target to overload air defense systems.

The sample obtained by intelligence specialists is equipped with a camera and two LTE modems, which enable the transmission of video – either live or recorded – via mobile base stations. This also allows for in-flight course adjustments of the drone.

Meanwhile, it is noted that in its strike configuration, thanks to the camera and remote control, the drone could be used as a long-range ersatz FPV drone, with the operator guiding it toward a selected target.

Most of the drone’s components are manufactured by companies from the People’s Republic of China. However, elements originating from the United States have also been identified, as well as, to a lesser extent, from Japan, Switzerland, and Taiwan.

Structurally, the drone is built using a delta-wing design, similar to the Shahed-131, but with a DLE engine from the Chinese company Mile Hao Xiang Technology installed in the nose section.

Experts from the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine note that the drone’s design is similar to the Italmas unmanned aerial vehicle produced by Russia’s Zala Aero Group.

It is worth recalling that in June 2025, specialists from the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine obtained a new Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle, Shahed-136 with thermal imaging guidance, for examination. This model had recently started to be delivered to Russia for use.

At that time, it was discovered that the structure of the fuselage material, the build quality, and the layout of electronic components had indicated that the UAV had been manufactured at an Iranian facility. However, certain modifications and improvements suggested a possible joint effort between Russia and Iran to modernize Shahed drones.

The drone, bearing the unique onboard number MS001, is equipped with a high-speed NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin minicomputer, which specializes in Artificial Intelligence tasks and video processing, as well as an infrared camera similar to one previously showcased in Russia.

The module’s purpose is to receive data from the camera and compare it with preloaded models to enable terminal guidance or automatic target selection. Additionally, this functionality can be used for reconnaissance.