According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, the Russian military has begun deploying «mother drones» to extend the range of its strikes against enemy targets.

These drones function as relay antennas, maintaining communication with the operators and enabling the larger UAVs to launch smaller explosive drones. The new tactic has reportedly increased the precision with which Russian drones are targeting Ukrainian military equipment and personnel.

Ukrainian forces have observed this shift in Russian strategy, noting that over the past few months, large drones known as «mothers» have been sent deep beyond the frontlines. Once in position, they release smaller explosive drones that then target Ukrainian vehicles and troops.

Earlier, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat mentioned the difficulty Ukrainian forces face in countering the Russian «Shahed» drones. He explained that the Ukrainian military struggles to intercept these drones, as they appear on radar similarly to cruise missiles, making them harder to detect and destroy with the available anti-air systems.