How Russia’s battlefield comms system works

BLUF: Russians use Wi-Fi bridges, satellites, and Starlink to communicate on the frontline. However, they also rely on outdated radio systems, which Ukrainians can intercept.

In other news, the Ukrainian export control agency is developing instruments for evaluating manufacturers' capabilities to produce more weapons that the state can purchase. Amsterdam-based VC NUNC Capital will invest $20 million in Ukrainian defense tech. The newly created startup Xnet announced a new approach to countering FPV drones with an autonomous turret.

THE BIG STORY: Inside Russian frontline communication strategies

The role of communication cannot be underestimated. Misunderstandings, disorganization, and even friendly fire can occur without unit communication. Therefore, establishing it is critically essential in combat operations.

The Ukrainian army relies on the American Starlink satellite network and, to a lesser extent, European alternatives like Eutelsat. 

The Armed Forces of Ukraine also have access to Western secure communication radio systems on various levels, from trenches to higher branches, and domestically-developed HIMERA encrypted systems. 

Do the Russians have a response to it?

Russian communication at the front 

While electronic warfare can be considered a strength of the Russian army (read about the development of Russian EW here), communication is not. 

Russians use many outdated technologies, which affects reaction speed and force organization.

At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian air defense forces had poor communication and reaction speed. 

This led to paralysis. Additionally, Ukrainian EW effectively countered radio use, wrote Russian war expert Andrey Markin in a book based on the testimonies of Russian soldiers and officers.

The situation improved over time with the use of messengers for communication. Initially, the Russian army tried to ban social networks and messengers among soldiers. But it was impossible to enforce. So now, both armies coordinate units' actions via civilian messaging programs like Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp.

Russians also have outdated radio communication in their positions. That’s why they use repeaters made by Lira, a Russian microelectronics maker. These are needed to extend the coverage of radio stations, especially in wooded areas. 

According to Russian pro-war expert Markin, at the beginning of the invasion, Ukraine could interrupt Russian radio communication and even imitate the commands of Russian officers. Now, the Ukrainian army can still detect Russian radios using electronic intelligence.

"The Russian military uses various radio station models, including modern digital ones. However, there is evidence that secure communication between units is not always properly ensured, which can lead to [our] interception of communications," said a Ukrainian officer from one of the assault regiments. 

He spoke with us on the condition of anonymity due to the topic's sensitivity. 

Russians have also faced trouble in tank units. Poor communications capabilities mean that they needed to use indirect artillery, without  direct visual contact with the target, wrote Markin. Standard radio communication is analog and can be intercepted by the Ukrainian military because the signal is not encrypted. 

Due to the lack of digital communication, sometimes orders to fire are transmitted by voice. For fire adjustment, one of the soldiers moves 50 meters away from a tank, receives commands for firing by radio, and then transmits these commands to the tank by voice.

How do Russians organize internet access at the front?

Russia does not have its own extensive satellite network that would provide stable and fast communication like Starlink. 

Therefore, they use other means, such as communication repeaters and the Russian provider Tricolor through the Express AMU-1 satellite, which was designed and manufactured by French company Airbus Defence and Space for the Russian Satellite Communications Company (Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment). 

This satellite covers the eastern part of Ukraine and claims to provide speeds of up to 400 megabytes incoming and up to 12 megabytes per second outgoing. But Tricolor is more difficult to use than Starlink. To connect to Triсolor, a user must purchase a satellite dish, transmitter, and modem with cables.

Russians also use Starlink terminals and buy them on the black market, despite an official policy prohibiting usage by countries under sanctions. 

Generally, Starlink provides high-speed internet, which allows combining live video from all the drones in the air to broadcast at the command post. This is done using Discord, Skype, or other civilian streaming and chat applications. It also improves force coordination, said the Ukrainian officer in a conversation with Counteroffensive.Pro.

Russia buys Stralink terminals in Kazakhstan, UAE, and European countries before importing them to the battlefield. The first report of Russian Starlink use appeared in February 2024. Russians register accounts using European bank card owners. Such Russian users will be geolocated as if they are in non-occupied areas of Ukraine, according to an investigation by the Molfar OSINT agency.

“Almost certainly, Russia is conducting relevant research and development work to create its own Starlink-type satellite communications,” Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) told Counteroffensive.Pro.

At least ten companies in Russia sell Starlink, and some offer dozens of terminals simultaneously, Molfar discovered. Russian war bloggers also claimed to buy dozens of terminals in 2024 and 2025. These terminals were even installed on Shahed kamikaze drones. Relevant publications appeared in September 2024. 

However, Russia can't use captured Ukrainian terminals, which can be remotely blocked, said a Ukrainian officer. So Russia uses only Starlink units they themselves purchased, he added. 

The U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency is working to block Russians' unauthorized use of Starlink in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory and other zones, HUR told Counteroffensive.Pro. 

This is done by identifying unauthorized users, which is challenging — Russia keeps acquiring more terminals through the black market.

However, satellite internet is not the only way to communicate on the frontline. Russians also use Wi-Fi bridges to organize Internet access at a distance of up to 50 km. For this, Russians need a source of cable internet, from which transmitters share the signal. These transmitters look like small antennas, said Hlib, a Ukrainian soldier involved in communication and EW in a volunteer unit.

Russians also use repeaters to ensure communication between units. For example, to control the common Russian reconnaissance drones Orlan, they use special repeaters that connect to a router, said a Ukrainian officer.

Also, Russians have internet access not only on the frontline but in all temporarily occupied areas, told us in HUR. To do so, Russians disconnected or blocked all telecommunication networks that were connected to networks in Ukrainian-controlled territories. 

Instead, Russians connected these networks to corresponding Russian ones through the territory of Crimea, added HUR. For stable internet connection, Russians also use equipment of Ukrainian mobile operators like Kyivstar or Vodafone in occupied areas.

BUSINESS LUNCH TOPICS: What our reporting shows!

1. Export control develops criteria for evaluating manufacturer capacity 

The State Service of Export Control (SSEC) is developing a project to evaluate the production capacities of military producers. 

Defense companies in Ukraine have long argued that they have far more capacity to manufacture than they are selling to the Ukrainian military, and that the sector would benefit from more relaxed export controls to sell excess production abroad.

This procedure will help facilitate defense industry investment because the government will soon be able to independently evaluate the capabilities of the industry – easing the process to approve exports.

The new project will allow for verifying manufacturers' declarations of capabilities to fulfill contracts with Ukraine’s government and produce even more, said Oleh Tsilvik, the acting head of SSEC, in a conversation with Counteroffensive.Pro.

The Ministry of Defense and other security forces are working on approval of the procedure. Private manufacturers, including Tech Force in UA, have also submitted their proposals, said Tsilvik. 

For now, it is unknown which institution will inspect the manufacturers and evaluate their ability to produce more than the MoD requires. The SSEC doesn't have enough personnel for this, Tsylvik said. One of the options is the MoD. According to Tsilvik, the ministry may base its assessment on these criteria:

• timeliness of goods delivery;

• production line utilization;

• ability to produce more than MoD needs.

The final criteria are still being discussed, Tsilvik added.

2. NUNC Capital will invest €20 million in Ukrainian defense startups

Amsterdam-based NUNC Capital investment company has announced the establishment of a €20 million fund to invest in Ukrainian miltech.

The main points of interest include electronic warfare, maritime drones, and loitering munitions, Joris van Dijk, COO at NUNC Capital, told Counteroffensive.Pro. 

The main focus will be on innovations based on Ukrainian combat experience and meeting the needs of European strategic autonomy.

Investments will be made at the pre-seed and seed stages of development. Each project may receive between €250,000 and €1 million, depending on its maturity and potential, said van Dijk.

“We are planning to establish a local presence with Ukrainian personnel with a great network and understanding [of] our defense business,” he added.

3. Ukrainian startup develops autonomous turret against drones

Young Ukrainian startup Xnet is developing a turret and special ammunition against drones in close range combat, less than 300 meters, known as the ‘last chance’ zone. The ammunition will consist of a shot to create a cloud of shrapnel that will disable drones, Denys, the startup CEO, told Counteroffensive.Pro.

The turret could be installed on vehicles in the combat zone and should be able to operate with 360-degree rotation. Developers plan for a turret to find and hit targets autonomously. FPV drones fly very quickly, and usually, operators have little time to react, Denys explained. However, the system will likely be unable to distinguish between enemy and friendly drones. Therefore, Ukrainian drone operators will need to avoid the turret.

Currently, the startup has reached Technological Readiness Level 3. This means that the concept has been proven by experiment, and the materials list has been determined. The developers expect a prototype to be ready for testing in a few months. Their software part will be handled by an unnamed Ukrainian startup with whom Xnet collaborates.

Ukrainian orders/legislation we’re tracking: 

By: Oksana Zabolotna

Inclusion of the Ministry of Digital Transformation in the security and defense sector

Draft Law: №13141, dated 28.03.2025

Stage: Sent for review to the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence

Initiator: Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine’s Prime Minister.

Proposals:

To recognize the Ministry of Digital Transformation as a part of the security and defense sector with the following main functions:

• determining the priorities for the development of military robots, drones, and other defense technologies (and creating appropriate state programs);

• ensuring proper laws for robotic systems and drone development and usage; 

• organizing financial support for companies that develop and manufacture military technologies;

• coordinating testing and research of military robot and drone samples, including the creation of testing infrastructure; 

• promoting scientific research and educational programs in the field of military robotics;

• supplying the army and other security structures with robots, drones, and other technologies for effective combat use.

Why it is important:

At the beginning of the full-scale war, the Ministry of Digital Transformation was a flagship of deregulation and procurement of drones. They were involved in all stages, from designing drones to establishing serial production. The adoption of the law would strengthen defense capabilities and empower the Ministry with actions in the drones and robotization field, the minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote. It would also improve the supply of drones and robots to soldiers, he added.

Link to Defense Tech:

The inclusion of the Ministry of Digital Transformation in the security and defense sector will help respond more effectively to security challenges and contribute to the development of new technologies.

ON THE MOVE: Professional movement, promotions and industry news.

Know someone in the defense tech space who has made a professional move? Drop us a line at [email protected]! 

• Magnus Josias has joined Mantis Analytics, an AI situation awareness platform, as a strategic advisor. Previously, he was a vice president of sales at Dataminr, an AI platform for event monitoring.

• The FPV drone producer Odd Systems is hiring an FPV drone engineer.

• Jonas Rydin has joined Defence Builder, anaccelerator program for Ukrainian startups, as a senior advisor. He is also working as chairman of the board at SnigelDesign AB, which develops personal tactical gear equipment.

Our media partner, Calibrated agency with Tech PR School, will launch a 5-day online training program, ‘Defence Tech Comms Bootcamp 2.0’, designed to teach miltech companies to communicate with media. It will take place from May 19 to 23. 

Here is a link to apply!

30 SECOND ELEVATOR PITCH:

Ukrainian startup Seido Tactix develops products for assault and sniper rifles that enable shooters to proceed with aimed, precise fire while staying hidden from the enemy. This is called SEIDO-PAS (Precise And Safe). 

The main goal is to ‘shoot precisely and stay safe.’ The main idea is a 2-component system for transmitting and receiving analog video signals from a camera mounted on a rifle wirelessly, which can be used for optional devices such as monoculars, displays, smartphones, mini-monitors, etc. 

Currently, interest in the solution has been indicated by the International Legion, Military intelligence, and more combat divisions, according to the company.

“Now, we are seeking $100,000 in investment to scale production, and bring more enhancements, which include: integrating moving targets AI detection and recognition, increased duration of use, protecting from overheating…streaming and storing the video in the cloud, and providing in form of kit (so for using for multiple situations),” said Alex Lipsky, CEO and Co-Founder of Seido Tactix

MUST READS:

• Ukraine’s MoD discussed the unification of production and resolving obstacles to expanding capacities with domestic FPV drone makers. One of the ways to solve it is to implement unified technical requirements and standards for FPV drones.

• The Ukrainian Bohdana-B artillery will receive a new carriage to replace the Soviet one by the end of 2025. Currently, it’s based on the Soviet-era Giatsint-B gun carriage.

• Trump’s new tariffs threaten U.S. weapons production, Politico reports. American weapons will be more expensive due to global supply chains.

• Babcock, a British defense company, has been awarded a proof-of-concept contract by the UK MoD to provide innovative support to Ukraine. In cooperation with defense-tech firm QinetiQ, it plans to help Ukraine start 3D printing military equipment.

• In 2025, seven loans totaling $11.26 million were issued by Ukraine’s government to domestic miltech companies. The interest rates were under five percent per year. The state will cover the difference between market prices of loans (read our detailed coverage of defense loans here).

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