Ukraine Unleashes Compact Device to Harness Russian Drone Cameras for Its Own Defense
Ukrainian drone teams have found a new method to monitor the drones that are monitoring them. A startup in Kyiv named CODE380 has developed a compact receiver known as the D·Vision SDR, which captures live video feeds from various Russian drones and displays it on a screen.
These drones transmit their video without encryption, allowing anyone with the appropriate receiver to monitor the footage. Ukrainian military units can thus track the direction of a drone and identify its target before any impact occurs.
As reported, this device is lightweight, weighing approximately 10 ounces, which is significantly less than other Ukrainian alternatives that can weigh a couple of pounds.
Furthermore, it is capable of picking up the radio frequencies utilized by Russia’s newer Molniya drones for video transmission, which they started using in June. Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, a radio expert who advises Ukraine’s president, mentioned in a June social media post that “most detectors do not adequately pick up these frequencies.” He cautioned against relying too much on detection technologies, as it could lead to dangerous situations.
Beskrestnov has also indicated the potential for digital video to eventually replace analog systems, which would render receivers like this one inoperative. Reports have indicated that some of the Molniya drones are guided by artificial intelligence, using advanced chips while emitting no detectable signals.
