Ukraine has carried out a series of strikes using FP-2 attack drones against Russian military targets deep inside Russia, including radar stations and facilities in Rostov Oblast, raising questions over how the drones maintain connectivity in areas where Starlink cannot be used, according to Russian and Western OSINT analysts on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
The Russian Telegram channel Military Informant reported strikes against several radar stations and the Kamensky industrial plant in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov Oblast.
It also reported that drones targeted Russia’s Millerovo airbase, hitting what appeared to be a decoy Ka-52 helicopter and another MiG-29 aircraft that the channel said was likely also being used as a decoy.
The channel noted that Rostov Oblast is not a coastal region and argued that the strikes could therefore not be explained by Ukrainian drones operating through Starlink connectivity.
“Either Starlink’s operation is gradually spreading deep into Russian territory and the US is giving Ukraine the green light for such strikes, or the Ukrainian Armed Forces are using a similar network of repeaters and controlling their drones through a mesh network,” the channel said.
French OSINT analyst Clément Molin similarly highlighted the significance of the strikes, saying that Ukraine was expanding its use of medium-range drones with video feeds deeper into Russian territory.
Molin said dozens of Ukrainian strikes in 2026 had targeted Russian air-defense systems, radars and aircraft, with more than 250 such assets reportedly damaged or destroyed this year, including air-defense systems, jammers and radars.
How Ukraine could control drones beyond Starlink coverage
According to Molin, Starlink connectivity allows Ukrainian FP-2 drones to operate across occupied Ukrainian territory, the Black Sea and coastal areas of Russia.
However, he said the recent footage from strikes against Russian airbases and air-defense systems was significant because Starlink reportedly cannot be used at those locations.
Molin suggested that Ukraine could be using a mesh network with repeater drones to maintain communications with the attacking drones over longer distances.
A mesh network would allow drones or other relay devices to pass communications between each other, potentially extending the range at which operators can maintain contact with a drone.
The analysts did not provide evidence confirming that Ukraine is using such a system in these specific attacks.
Strikes could open gaps in Russia’s defenses
Molin said the destruction of Russian radars and air-defense systems could create new vulnerabilities along Russia’s southern border.
He argued that this could eventually allow Ukraine to conduct longer-range strikes against Russian energy infrastructure and industrial facilities in areas including Voronezh, Rostov and Krasnodar.
The strikes could also potentially affect Russian missile systems positioned close to Ukraine, including Iskander and S-400 launchers in Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod oblasts that are used to attack Ukrainian targets.
The analysts’ assessments remain preliminary, and the precise communications technology used to control the drones in these strikes has not been independently established.