{"id":35498,"date":"2026-07-28T12:55:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T09:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedefender.media\/?p=35498"},"modified":"2026-07-28T13:44:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T10:44:27","slug":"mesh-countermeasures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedefender.media\/en\/2026\/07\/mesh-countermeasures\/","title":{"rendered":"Mesh network: how Russian Shaheds use it, and the countermeasure Ukraine has found"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Put simply, mesh communication makes it possible to control a Shahed directly, almost like an FPV drone,” explains Serhii Skoryk, Commercial Director at Kvertus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mesh network is a decentralised communication system used by both the Russian and Ukrainian sides. Within it, drones not only receive a signal but also relay it further. This makes it possible, among other things, to control them manually over long distances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presidential Advisor Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov adds that the number of Russian drones fitted with mesh modems is growing by the day. How this type of communication works and how to counter it \u2013 in this Defender Media article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How mesh networks work<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In a classical radio communication scheme, a direct connection between transmitter and receiver is used, Beskrestnov explains. At the same time, in a mesh network, each modem installed on a drone can not only receive a signal but also amplify and relay it further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This makes it possible to build chains stretched out in length, where each of the drones follows one after another and passes the signal on. “The second option is redundancy. For example, if there are several drones in the air and one of them disappears, communication with the others will continue to work,” the presidential advisor adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mesh technology allows drones to transmit various types of data between themselves, including video, which is ultimately received by the operator. In this way, the Russians conduct reconnaissance on the ground, as well as observe interceptor drones in the sky. This helps build corridors for subsequent drones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\u0420\u043e\u0441\u0456\u0439\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439
Russian UAV with mesh modem (Photo: Serhii Beskrestnov)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Information from the modems reaches the operator, who is located deep inside Russia, thanks to remote relay points, explains Bogdan Trynka, CEO of Bravo Dynamics. His team is developing a mesh system for UGVs. The points that Trynka refers to have operated in Belarus, exist in Kursk Oblast, in the occupied territories of Ukraine, and elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, thanks to mesh communication, an operator can manually control a given drone from Russian territory. This makes it possible to attack moving targets: trains, mobile fire groups, and so on. If one of the drones detects air defence activity, the next one in manual control mode can locate and destroy the air defence position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This also allows the Russians to attack critical infrastructure more effectively. The first drone finds the most vulnerable point and strikes it, and all subsequent ones follow suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A strike by 10 Shaheds on a single point equals the effect of an Iskander impact, but costs less,” says Skoryk of Kvertus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What each side uses<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Defender Media’s interlocutors say that the Russians use Chinese mesh systems due to their accessibility. According to DIU<\/a> data, Gerbera drones and some Geran drones are fitted with the XK-F358 modem, which costs around $8,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American and European analogues are more expensive, with interlocutors naming Silvus as the best-known among them. “The price ranges from $16,000 to $20-30,000 per communication point, and a mission typically requires at least three,” says Trynka of Bravo Dynamics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mesh-\u043c\u043e\u0434\u0435\u043c
Mesh modem from a Shahed (Photo: Serhii Beskrestnov)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, Western systems have not caught on in Ukraine due to their price, he adds. Starlink, on the other hand, has found its place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there are still situations where Musk’s terminals do not work. For example, the signal disappears when its direct line of sight to the sky is lost. This is why Trynka says an ecosystem of different means should be used for communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, according to his data, there are 4 companies in Ukraine developing their own mesh systems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n