Ukraine has identified a new version of Russia's Molniya attack drone that experts warn could mark another leap in battlefield technology, raising fresh concerns over Moscow's growing use of autonomous weapons. The discovery comes after one of the modified drones struck a key Ukrainian facility, prompting warnings that Russian unmanned systems are becoming increasingly difficult to detect, disrupt and defeat. A Drone With No Control Link Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine's defence ministry and a specialist in military radio technology, said the recovered Molniya drone carried no external control antenna. Instead, the aircraft reportedly relied only on an onboard camera and computer, suggesting it no longer depended on continuous communication with an operator during its mission. Autonomous Threat Growing Beskrestnov said the finding points towards Russia accelerating efforts to field drones capable of navigating, identifying targets and carrying out attacks with minimal or no human intervention. He noted that similar technology had already been identified in Russia's V2U drone, where Ukrainian specialists believe Moscow has been training neural networks to support autonomous operations. "This is a bad sign," he warned, arguing that the latest discovery demonstrates the pace at which Russian drone technology is evolving. Battlefield Challenge Deepens The shift could complicate Ukraine's electronic warfare efforts, which have relied heavily on disrupting communications between drones and their operators. Systems capable of acting independently would be less vulnerable to traditional jamming techniques. Beskrestnov urged Ukrainian troops and civilians to report any recovered drone components or unusual equipment to military commanders or technical specialists, saying every discovery could help counter emerging threats. The warning comes as Ukraine continues to face increasingly sophisticated Russian drone attacks, while officials also report Moscow is expanding its use of unmanned technologies across multiple domains, including experimental surface drones aimed at threatening Ukraine's coastline. 'This is a bad sign': New modification of Russian Molniya drone identified
Create an account or sign in to comment