Technology1 min read

Ukraine’s new pocket-sized gadget turns Russian drones’ cameras against them

By · Via TechCrunch · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The compact D·Vision SDR intercepts unscrambled video feeds so Ukrainian units can observe an incoming drone's flight path and target. Engineered by the Kyiv-based startup CODE380, the device operates at less than half the weight of bulkier rival systems. It also tracks the specific radio frequencies adopted by newer Molniya drones, though experts warn that shifts to digital transmissions or silent, chip-driven autonomous flights could soon blind such detectors.

Key points

  • Intercepting live analog camera signals allows defenders to see what an approaching pilot…: Intercepting live analog camera signals allows defenders to see what an approaching pilot targets in real time.
  • Standard electronic detectors largely fail to capture the specific transmission frequenci…: Standard electronic detectors largely fail to capture the specific transmission frequencies utilized by the newer Molniya platforms.
  • Future shifts toward digital video transmissions or autonomous navigation could render si…: Future shifts toward digital video transmissions or autonomous navigation could render signal-intercepting receivers completely ineffective on the battlefield.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Ukrainian drone teams have a new way to spy on the drones that spy on them. A Kyiv equipment startup called CODE380 has been gaining attention for a pocket-sized receiver, the D·Vision SDR, that picks up live camera video from many Russian drones and shows it on a screen.

Those drones send their video over the air without any scrambling, so anyone with the right receiver can watch along. A Ukrainian unit can see where a drone is heading and what its pilot is aiming at before it hits.

According to Defense News, the device is light, at about 10 ounces, which is less than half the weight of competing Ukrainian models, one of which weighs a couple of pounds.

It also listens on the radio channels Russia’s newer Molniya drones started using for video in June. Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, a radio specialist who advises Ukraine’s president, said in a June Facebook post cited by Defense News that “most detectors don’t see these frequencies, or see them poorly.” He warned that putting too much trust in a detector could prove…

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