Ukraine’s prominent drone expert “Flash”: Russia’s cheap Molniya drones fly too low for radar

Ukraine reports on a decline in the use of expensive strike UAVs and a shift by Russian forces toward cheaper systems such as the “Molniya” drones, according to Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, an advisor to the Minister of Defense. 

Radars are being challenged as Molniya drones fly low 

The key issue with them, Beskrestnov notes, is low radar visibility due to low-altitude flight and the use of airframe materials, which makes interception by anti-drone systems significantly more difficult.

He also highlights that Molniya’s video link operates via powerful 5–10W transmitters and directional antennas, enabling long-range control and stable communication.

Frequency agility becomes main battlefield

Beskrestnov emphasizes that while Ukraine possesses many electronic warfare (EW) systems, there is a critical shortage of precise frequency detection tools.

He warns that simple “broad-spectrum jamming” is no longer effective. 

"There are too many frequency options"

He also notes that Russian operators increasingly use pseudo-random frequency hopping (PRFH) across a 300–600 MHz range, making signal suppression significantly more complex.

Beskrestnov concludes that these changes require a fundamental redesign of EW systems, as warfare shifts toward mass deployment of cheap drones combined with advanced adaptive communications.