Russia Equips Shahed-136 Drones With Mobile Communication Modules

Russia has begun equipping newly produced Shahed-136 strike drones with mobile communication and data transmission systems that connect to Ukrainian networks.

The development was disclosed by Oleksandr Vysikan, chief forensic expert at the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, in a report by the investigative project Schemes.

According to Vysikan, the modems installed in the drones were initially fitted with SIM cards from Ukrainian operator Kyivstar. Later, cards from Kazakh providers began to appear. More recently, investigators have found unmarked Russian-made SIM cards.

“Previously, trackers and modems with power banks were installed inconsistently. Now they’ve been added systematically for the last four or five months,” Vysikan said.

The mobile network is used to transmit telemetry data, including drone status, via chatbots in popular messaging apps. This data helps Russian forces assess the effectiveness of Ukrainian air defense, based on where drones are intercepted.

Vysikan added that while video cameras capable of transmitting footage over the mobile network had been found on a few earlier drones, those modifications were no longer in use.

Unlike in 2022, when Shahed-136 drones were fully imported from Iran, Russia is now assembling and producing the systems domestically.

Drones with serial numbers exceeding 26,000 have been traced to the Alabuga plant in Tatarstan.

Production has also begun at the JSC Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant ‘Kupol’, where drones are marked with white serial numbers. Units from Alabuga are marked in yellow.

Russian engineers continue to upgrade the drone’s capabilities and electronic resilience. A variety of warheads have been developed — including high-explosive, incendiary, and thermobaric variants weighing up to 90 kg.

A key feature of Shahed-136 is its satellite navigation system, which enables it to follow pre-programmed coordinates. In response to Ukrainian electronic warfare, Russian developers have switched to more advanced Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas (CRPA) with up to 16 elements.

Ukrainian forces would need at least 16 spatially separated EW stations acting in coordination to simulate false satellite signals to effectively disrupt these systems.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian intelligence reported the downing of a modified Shahed drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera and radio-control system, marking another evolution in the platform’s design.