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Russia has demonstrated a new capability to obtain live drone video feed from as deep inside Ukraine as the capital, Kyiv, using a drone to relay communications and record a strike as it unfolded.
The capability was revealed by footage of a September 25 attack on the Incom business center in the Ukrainian capital. A Geran-5 jet-powered one-way attack drone struck the building while another drone circled about three kilometers away, filming the impact in real time.
Ukrainian defense technology adviser Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov said the second drone was also a Geran-type jet-powered drone that served as a communications relay for the Geran-5 while transmitting its own video of the attack. The arrangement allowed Russian operators to maintain contact with the strike drone and see the result of the attack immediately.
The Incom building, which housed infrastructure belonging to telecommunications company Datagroup, was hit in the strike.
The significance of the operation lies in the supporting drone’s role. Instead of depending on the attacking drone alone to provide information about the strike, Russia was able to keep a separate drone over the target and use it to transmit a live picture from inside the Ukrainian capital.
Beskrestnov said the same drone later left Kyiv and flew to Brovary, where it struck a McDonald’s logistics warehouse. The drone therefore continued its mission after serving as the relay and filming platform for the Kyiv attack.
The attack points to a more coordinated use of drones by Russia, with one drone carrying the weapon while another provides communications and real-time observation. This new capability could give the Russian military immediate battle-damage information even during strikes on targets far inside Ukrainian territory.
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