The large-scale drone raid on the Yaroslavl Region involved aircraft-type unmanned vehicles equipped with US artificial intelligence technology and connected to the Starshield satellite system, military expert Alexey Leonkov said.

According to Leonkov, drones of this type can now cover distances of up to 2,000 kilometers.

He told the publication Abzats that Ukrainian operators launch the aircraft with Starlink routers linked to the low-orbit Starshield network. Leonkov claimed that their flight missions and control are handled through the US PRISM system.

The analyst said artificial intelligence allows the drones to follow a designated route while scanning the terrain and selecting paths around Russian air defense systems.

In his assessment, this rules out the need for operators or sabotage groups positioned inside Russia to guide the aircraft near their targets.

Leonkov added that AI-controlled drones can operate in groups, change formation during flight and carry out maneuvers designed to penetrate a layered air defense network. He suggested that the Yaroslavl oil refinery may have been the main target of the Ukrainian attack.

On August 6, regional Governor Mikhail Evraev described the overnight raid as the largest since the beginning of the special military operation.

According to the governor, debris from intercepted drones caused a fire at the refinery. Four people suffered shrapnel wounds after fragments of the Ukrainian aircraft fell to the ground.

A total of 93 drones launched by the Ukrainian military were destroyed over the Yaroslavl Region.