Russians Install Starlink on BM-35 Kamikaze Drone for First Time

For the first time, Ukrainian air defense intercepted a Russian BM-35 drone controlled by a Starlink satellite terminal.

This was reported by military serviceman and radio engineering specialist Serhii Flash.

According to him, previously such communication systems were recorded only on kamikaze drones such as Molniya, designed to destroy targets and reconnaissance at tactical depth.

The analysis of the BM-35 wreckage showed the first confirmed use of satellite control on a drone of this type, which is used to engage targets at the operational level.

The use of the Starlink terminal ensures a stable communication channel with the drone and, accordingly, minimal delays in transmitting commands and video signals.

In addition, such a system allows to partially neutralize the impact of electronic warfare, which increases the survivability of the drone.

Serhii Flash does not rule out that in the near future a similar control system may appear on Russian kamikaze drones such as Shahed (Geran).

Read more about Starlink on enemy drones in Volodymyr Stepants’s article “Starlink on Russian Drones: How Ukraine Can Protect Its SatCom Domain?”

BM-35

The first reports of the use of the Russian BM-35 drone appeared in early September 2025. At that time, the Ukrainian military managed to intercept a video signal from a drone that was attacking Sumy.

At the initial stage, Ukrainian experts assumed that the BM-35 could belong to the ZALA line of drones and be a modification of the drone called Italmaz. However, further analysis showed that it was a separate development with a number of distinctive technical solutions.

The drone is made according to an aerodynamic scheme with a delta-shaped wing and is equipped with a warhead of unspecified weight and type.

The powerplant of the BM-35 is a two-stroke DLE gasoline engine with a propeller located in the nose of the fuselage.

It is also equipped with an analog video transmission system operating in the 3.3 GHz band, along with a forward-facing camera used for targeting.

The drone’s components are particularly noteworthy. According to experts, the design of the BM-35 contains at least 41 foreign components, including those made in Switzerland, the United States, and Taiwan, with a significant portion of the components originating in China.