Russia put SIM cards in its exploding one-way attack drones to use Ukraine's cellphone network for strikes, war expert says

• Russia outfitted its Shahed-136 drones with SIM cards and antennae, a war expert said in a new report.
• The adaptation, first observed in late 2023, appears intended to help with navigation and strike capabilities.

Russia equipped its deadly attack drones with cellphone parts to help improve their targeting capabilities, a war expert noted in a new report.

Jack Watling, a senior research fellow and a land warfare expert at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute think tank, highlighted in a report last week that Russia has placed SIM cards in its explosive Shahed-136 drones and mounted antennae on the wings.

"These were used in two ways," Watling wrote in a September 6 analysis about the risks and opportunities of mobile phones on the battlefield.

"First, the UAV used the network to assist with navigation by triangulating off the bearings of mobile phone masts," he said, using the term UAV to describe an unmanned aerial vehicle.

"Second," he said, "the Russians were sending telemetry data from the UAVs back through the mobile phone network to help plan follow up strikes."

The Shahed-136 is an Iranian one-way attack drone that Russia has been using to strike civilian infrastructure and energy facilities across Ukraine for two years. It has a range of more than 600 miles and carries a warhead of nearly 100 pounds.

These notorious drones are relatively cheap compared to other Russian weapons like ballistic or cruise missiles and can be launched in swarms in a bid to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. Moscow also has a locally produced version of the Shahed called the Geran-2.

Russia's use of the cell network in Ukraine is not all upside, though. There are vulnerabilities as well.

"There is of course something rather suspicious about a mobile phone travelling at 350 kmph, and so these behaviours could be tracked, and it is possible to cut off SIMs identified as being used for such malicious purposes," Watling wrote.

"This is only possible, however, if the mobile phone network has effective relationships with security organisations," he said.

Russia appears to have been using SIM cards to help direct and pilot its Shahed drones since late 2023, when Ukrainians discovered 4G modems that connect to the country's Kyivstar telecommunications network in drones that had been shot down.

Cellphones and related technology have played a role on both sides of the war, with Russia and Ukraine using enemy signals to aid in their targeting and strikes. Cellular data, for instance, can be used to pinpoint the location of large troop gatherings, which can then make soldiers vulnerable to attacks.

Some militaries are trying to rein this behavior in. Russia, for instance, has repeatedly, albeit unsuccessfully, tried to get a handle on this problem. And recognizing the challenge, US Army officers have also been warning American forces that bringing personal devices to a future fight could have serious consequences.

However, Watling argued militaries shouldn't view phones solely as threats.

"Soldiers should plan to leverage the advantages of these networks and be properly informed about the associated risks and accompanying mitigations," he said. "Used properly, mobile phone networks can help militaries to hide in the noise, distribute critical data, and deconflict with civilian authorities."