Russian Forces Use Molniya Drones to Launch FPV Strikes in Depth
Russian troops employ Molniya UAVs to carry and control FPV drones via mobile networks, enabling strikes deep in Ukrainian rear positions, reports say.
Russian forces have begun employing a new tactic on the battlefield, using larger drones as launch platforms for FPV kamikaze drones. The Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua, citing military personnel, reported that this method is increasingly being tested against defensive positions.
A Ukrainian serviceman with the callsign «Ten» explained that reconnaissance drones are now being used not only for observation but also as carriers for FPV drones and as signal relays. He noted that such an approach allows strikes deeper into defensive lines and may soon become standard practice.
Another soldier, identified as «Mouchnoy," said Russian units rely on Molniya drones for this purpose. These aircraft bypass frontline detection systems, fly into areas covered by civilian mobile networks, and activate FPV control through SIM cards.
He added that once the link is established, operators guide the FPV drones in the same way as through a video channel, but now via the mobile network. This enables attacks much deeper into rear areas — locations unreachable by traditional FPV drones limited by radio range.
Ukrainian instructor Anton Cherny earlier observed on the YouTube channel Alpha Media that Russian drone operators at the front work so intensively that they can sometimes establish control over entire settlements without deploying assault groups.