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Ukraine has completed a major special operation to establish an electronic warfare (EW) shield over Kyiv. The systems are designed to disrupt the mesh radio communications used to remotely control jet-powered Shahed drones.
Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, an adviser to the Ukrainian president on defense technology, announced the completion of the operation in a Telegram post.
EW shield over Kyiv
According to Beskrestnov, Ukraine is engaged in what he calls a “war of cities.” One successful operation in this conflict was the deployment of electronic warfare systems to protect the capital from remotely controlled jet-powered Shahed drones.
“One of the technologies that allows the enemy to identify targets and control Shaheds remotely is called mesh radio communication. A Russian operator controls the drone from Russian territory through a radio modem installed on board. That is why we needed to create a protective shield over Kyiv to disrupt this communication,” he said.
Beskrestnov said a huge amount of work had to be completed across the city within just a few weeks. All major electronic warfare manufacturers were involved, working around the clock to produce and install the equipment.
The operation involved:
- Ukraine’s General Staff;
- the Ministry of Defense;
- the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
- the National Security and Defense Council;
- the Presidential Office;
- other units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The operation was under the president’s constant supervision, Beskrestnov said.
He described it as a major organizational as well as technical challenge, requiring antenna and equipment installations at hundreds of locations across the city.
“The operation forced the enemy to pause, upgrade its Shaheds and look for other solutions,” he said.
