Ukraine has deployed an electronic-warfare network across Kyiv to disrupt radio communications used by Russian forces to remotely control Shahed attack drones, according to Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s president on defense technologies.
The operation involved installing antennas and other equipment at many hundreds of locations throughout the capital. The equipment was intended to interfere with mesh radio networks that, according to Beskrestnov, allow operators in Russia to maintain communications with Shahed drones, receive video and direct the aircraft toward targets.
United24Media reported that the deployment took place over several weeks and required electronic-warfare manufacturers to produce and mount equipment continuously. The operation brought together Ukraine’s General Staff, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Security and Defense Council, Office of the President and other units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“The tasks were large-scale and ambitious—to complete a huge volume of work across the entire city in a few weeks. All major manufacturers of electronic warfare equipment were involved in the process, manufacturing and mounting equipment around the clock. The General Staff, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Security and Defense Council, the Office of the President, and other units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine worked on the operation. The operation was under the constant control of the president,” Beskrestnov said.
A citywide counter-drone effort
Beskrestnov said the system was designed to counter the communications architecture used by Russian Shahed operators rather than relying only on conventional air-defense responses. The account presents the network as a citywide effort, with equipment distributed across Kyiv instead of concentrated at a single military site.
According to Beskrestnov, the operation caused Russian forces to pause their existing approach, reassess their methods and begin work on changes to the drones’ communication systems. That characterization is an official Ukrainian claim; the report does not provide independent technical verification of the effect or quantify how many drones were affected.
- Equipment was installed at hundreds of locations across Kyiv.
- Ukrainian electronic-warfare manufacturers produced and mounted the systems.
- The stated objective was to disrupt mesh radio links used with Russian Shahed drones.
Part of an evolving contest
The reported operation illustrates the continuing adaptation between drone operators and counter-drone forces in the war in Ukraine. Communications links are one part of the systems used to operate unmanned aircraft, and Ukraine’s account says Russian forces responded by seeking ways to modify their equipment and operating methods after the Kyiv deployment.
The report also places the effort within a broader Ukrainian government response involving military, security and civilian authorities. It does not identify the individual manufacturers involved, disclose the number or type of systems installed, or provide performance measurements for the electronic-warfare network.
