Ukraine should abandon hopes for its so-called «secret» breakthroughs in drone development — once these unmanned aircraft fall into Russian hands, they lose any element of secrecy. This assessment came from Sergey «Flash» Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian drone expert.

Beskrestnov explained that Russian forces have long been familiar with the design and functionality of all types of Ukrainian UAVs. Russian troops regularly intercept these drones, after which they are handed over to specialists for thorough examination.

According to him, the Russian army has deployed a wide network of radar stations along the front line, making it far easier to detect and shoot down Ukrainian drones. As a result, almost every model used by the Ukrainian military has already ended up in Russian possession. Given this, Beskrestnov argued, it is meaningless to claim that Ukraine still operates «classified» drones.

He noted that Russian specialists have studied the full range of onboard electronics, communication modules, and navigation systems found in Ukrainian UAVs — including their operating frequencies.

Beskrestnov emphasized that any military technology remains secret only until it becomes a battlefield trophy. Once captured, the information contained within is accessible to all sides — both Ukrainian and Russian — who analyze seized equipment to improve countermeasures or incorporate useful ideas into their own designs.

The expert concluded that, for both countries, most secrets last only until the first capture.