Russia is now wiring its attack drones into one network in flight, so a single drone can scout, strike, and relay for the rest

On September 29, Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia has been wiring its long-range attack drones together into a mesh network while they are in flight. This allows one drone to simultaneously serve as a scout, a strike drone, and a relay for the rest of the drones in the network, which often fly in chains behind each other over long distances.

According to Ukraine's spokesperson, this makes it increasingly difficult to jam or shoot down the drones, and they can reach the targeted cities more easily as they are pushed further from the front lines.

The upgraded drones come equipped with sharper, higher-resolution cameras, which cost more but provide better detail. This allows Russia's operators to study the ground in great detail and use each drone for a specific purpose. The drones communicate with each other on the mesh network, relaying control signals back to the operator, so that no single link needs to bear the burden alone.

Ukraine has observed drones crossing long distances in chains along the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, though it does not currently have information on whether Russia is using relay stations. The danger, according to Ukraine's spokesperson, is arithmetic: the more Russia networks cheap, disposable drones and separates its control links from the front lines, the harder they become to jam or shoot down, and the more of them reach the cities they are aimed at.