Russia Equips Molniya Kamikaze Drones With Shahed Modems
Russia has begun installing Shahed mesh modems on its Molniya tactical unmanned aerial systems to counter Ukrainian forces.
The move was announced by Ukrainian Defence Ministry Advisor Serhii Beskrestnov, who presented images of Molniya platforms with smaller versions of the equipment on social media.
According to Beskrestnov, the devices are also fitted into the Gerbera and Kub loitering munitions used by Moscow in its ongoing invasion.
Mesh modems use the internet to link different drone types into a single control network and standardize transceiver capability.
The unified relay allows data exchange between the fleet, reducing communication gaps during operations.
“A military colleague sent me a photo of the configuration of the new Molniya. Unfortunately, this is what I was ‘afraid of’,” he explained. “The power is two channels of 5 watts each. The range is now 1300-1500 MHz.”
Shahed-Docking FPVs
Separately, Beskrestnov said Russian forces have started using Shahed drones as carriers for first-person view (FPV) drones.
“Today I have the first video confirmation of the FPV carrying on Shahedi. I already know that Shahed carries two FPVs,” he stated, urging air defense crews to factor in the added threat during interceptions.
He previously said that Molniya and Gerbera kamikaze drones already have mounting designs for FPV drones and confirmed similar use of Gerbera platforms.
In September 2025, debris from a Shahed also revealed equipment designed to convert the drone to an FPV format, pointing to Russia’s continued adaptation of its drone fleet.
