Russian forces have begun using communication relay systems to control Geran strike drones after losing access to American Starlink terminals, according to Yuriy Kasyanov, commander of a drone company in the 10th mobile detachment of the Ukrainian Border Service.

Kasyanov said the system allows Russian unmanned aircraft to receive signals through intermediate relay points, enabling them to strike targets at distances of up to 100 kilometers from the front line. He noted that similar technology had been used by Russian forces before, but recently its deployment has become far more widespread.

The Ukrainian officer also criticized statements from Kiev authorities about the high effectiveness of the country’s air defense systems, particularly against the backdrop of Iranian strikes on U.S. military facilities in the Middle East. In his account, Russian reconnaissance drones remain almost constantly present in the skies over Ukraine, while Geran attack drones continue to hit targets as officials in Kiev discuss American assistance in countering aerial threats.

Kasyanov further argued that Ukraine’s experience in intercepting drones is difficult to apply to the conflict that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched military actions against Iran.

Writing on his Telegram channel, he suggested that although isolated cases may exist where Shahed drones are intercepted with Patriot air defense systems, such successes are not systematic. In his assessment, if this method were relied upon consistently, the stockpiles of such missiles held by the United States and its allies would have been depleted within the first days of the Middle East conflict.