Russia Deploys Smaller Shahed-Style Drone With LTE Guidance

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has revealed that Russia is deploying a new type of drone on the battlefield equipped with LTE communication and remote-control capabilities.

The Gaze reports this, referring to the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.

The drone can function as a surveillance platform, a strike UAV, or a decoy designed to overwhelm Ukrainian air defense systems. 

A 3D model and technical breakdown of the drone’s components have been published on the War&Sanctions portal.

The modification is fitted with a camera and two LTE modems, enabling live or recorded video transmission via mobile base stations, as well as real-time course adjustments. 

In its strike configuration, the system allows operators to steer the drone toward a target using first-person-view (FPV) technology.

Structurally, the aircraft features a delta-wing fuselage resembling the Iranian-designed Shahed-131 (used by Russia as the Geran-1) but is slightly smaller. 

In addition, Ukraine's intelligence noted that nearly half of the drone’s parts are of Chinese origin, including communication modules, a mini-computer, power regulators, and a quartz generator. 

Navigation relies on a jamming-resistant satellite positioning system using four patch antennas and Chinese-made Allystar modules.

Ukrainian officials stressed that the deployment of this drone underscores Russia’s continued reliance on foreign-sourced electronics to sustain its war effort.

As The Gaze reported earlier, while ramping up military production for the war in Ukraine, Russia circumvented Western sanctions by purchasing equipment from Germany’s Siemens through an intermediary that imports technology from China.