Russia Uses Upgraded Shahed “Ъ” Kamikaze Drone with Built-In Camera

Russia has reportedly started using a new modification of the Geran-2 (Shahed-136) kamikaze drone, designated the “Ъ” series, which is equipped with an onboard camera.

Radio technology expert Serhii Flesch and the Colonel GSh Telegram channel reported the development.

According to their information, this is essentially an upgraded version of the earlier “Ы” series drone, now featuring a camera and a modem for real-time video transmission.

According to available information, the camera in this version is not integrated into the nose cone, as seen in models of other series, but is instead mounted underneath the front part of the fuselage on a gyrostabilized gimbal.

This technical solution enables real-time video transmission and opens up the possibility of remotely controlling the drone via a radio link.

However, the video signal may be transmitted with noticeable delay and only within the coverage area of Russia’s network infrastructure.

Russia has previously used Shahed drones equipped with cameras.

For example, in June, Ukrainian forces shot down a new radio-controlled Shahed modification with infrared optics in the Sumy sector.

The drone, bearing the unique onboard number MS001, was equipped with an Nvidia Jetson Orin minicomputer – specialized for artificial intelligence tasks and video processing- as well as an infrared camera.

The purpose of this module is to receive data from the camera and compare it with preloaded models for target correction or autonomous target selection. This functionality can also be used for reconnaissance.

In addition, the new Shahed drone is equipped with a radio modem and a subsystem for transmitting video, telemetry, and/or enabling group control.

Militarnyi also noted that, according to Russian-Iranian cooperation documentation, the downed drone most likely belongs to the Shahed-236 series.