Russia deploys foam plastic UAVs using AI, without a human operator

“This is an autonomous Molniya variant equipped with AI. Russia began using them on a large scale in Zaporizhzhia province,” Serhiy Beskrestnov, an electronic warfare expert and advisor to the Ukrainian Defense Minister, said in a social media post on July 3, with images seemingly taken from an interceptor drone.

Beskrestnov stated that the new Molniya model has a very small radar reflection cross-section and infrared signals, and almost does not emit electromagnetic waves thanks to its ability to operate on its own and does not need to be connected to the operator. He warned that Ukraine’s current unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) detection systems are not capable of providing warnings for this weapon.

Advisor Beskrestnov previously announced that a Molniya UAV without a control antenna had attacked the facility in Ukraine. “On the plane there are only cameras and computers. The UAV can automatically adjust flight direction, identify targets and attack,” he said.

This technology once appeared on Russia’s V2 UAV, because engineers used it to train artificial neural networks. “We have discovered Molniyas with similar equipment installed, this is a bad sign,” he assessed, calling on Ukrainian soldiers to report any UAVs or parts they find.

The information was announced after the General Directorate of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR) determined that Russia had significantly upgraded the Molniya line, creating the Molniya-2R variant into a specialized reconnaissance aircraft.

Instead of carrying a lethal warhead, the Molniya-2R is equipped with a Raspberry Pi 5 computer, a stabilized camera with 10x optical zoom and a Starlink terminal for data transmission.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the information.

The low-cost Molniya UAV is made from plywood and foam plastic, and can be assembled on site in about three hours at a cost of $300. Each has a flight range of 30 km, a maximum speed of 80 km/h and an operating time of 40 minutes.

Russia once deployed Molniya carrying a first-person drone (FPV drone) on its back, turning the aircraft into a UAV operating on the “mother – child” principle. After Molniya flies deep into enemy lines, the FPV drone will leave the parent UAV to search for and attack the target.

Russian engineers also installed a Starlink signal transceiver on Molniya, allowing control of UAVs from very far distances, beyond the range of traditional radio connections. This connection also helps the aircraft better resist interference and limits one of the most popular UAV countermeasures today.