Drone warfare in Ukraine: Baba Yaga, mesh and lessons for NATO
AI Analysis
The article discusses the evolving drone warfare in Ukraine, highlighting the Ukrainian advantage with 'Baba Yaga' drones and Russia's use of mesh networks to enhance drone operations. It also touches on NATO's potential lessons from these developments.
Key Takeaways
- Ukraine's 'Baba Yaga' drones provide a significant tactical advantage.
- Russia is deploying mesh networks for improved drone communication.
- Russian FPV drones lack the integration seen in Ukrainian systems.
- Ukraine's electronic warfare and radar infrastructure needs expansion.
- NATO can learn from the Hedgehog-2025 exercise regarding drone warfare.
Why It Matters
The strategic use of drones in Ukraine underscores the importance of advanced drone technology and integration in modern warfare. The developments suggest a need for NATO to adapt its strategies and technologies to counter similar threats effectively.
Drone warfare in Ukraine: Baba Yaga, mesh and lessons for NATO [ ![Ukraine's Arms Monitor] ]
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Drone warfare in Ukraine: Baba Yaga, mesh and lessons for NATO
Four key stories: February 11 - 20, 2026
[ ![Olena Kryzhanivska's avatar] ] [Olena Kryzhanivska] Feb 21, 2026 ∙ Paid 46 1 13 Share [ ![] ] Photo: Vampire bomber drone will ensure nightmares for the occupiers. Courtesy of Anton Sheveliov / [Ministry of Defense via X] Ukraine’s solution to the Starlink problem affected Russian long-range drone operations, but their current adaptations are even harder to counter. Russia is now focusing on the mass deployment of mesh technology across various types of drones — something that has been observed since the end of last year. It allows a group of drones to operate as a chain, with the signal relayed through aircraft that remain in the air. Investment in electronic warfare and radar infrastructure by Ukraine must grow exponentially. In this edition:
- “Baba Yaga” Drones in Ukraine: Key Trends;
- Mesh Networks on Russian Drones and Ways of Countering Them;
- Russia’s Use of LTE Networks to Control FPV Drones;
- Drone Warfare Lessons for NATO: The Hedgehog-2025 Exercise;
- and 5+ additional developments in drone warfare in Ukraine and Russia. Thank you for reading and supporting my work! [Share] Last week, I joined [Samuel Bendett], one of the leading experts on Russia, on his podcast to discuss drone developments on the battlefield. Listen to the recording on X Spaces ⬇️ [ ![X avatar for @sambendett] Samuel Bendett@sambendett We are back! Please join our Spaces on Wednesday February 18 at 7:30pm EST as we host @OKryzhanivska to discuss combat robotics in Ukraine - with @exit266 https://t.co/32pad7CD2Z 10:10 PM · Feb 11, 2026 · 15.6K Views 2 Replies · 8 Reposts · 23 Likes ]
> “Baba Yaga” Drones in Ukraine: Key Trends
One Russian milblogger, in a recent [interview] with Radio Sputnik, stated that the area where Ukrainians hold an absolute advantage is the so-called “Baba Yaga” drones — thousands of heavy multirotor drones capable of dropping six 82mm rounds, hovering over Russian positions, and leveling trenches. He said it remains an absolute mystery to him why Russia, now almost in the fifth year of the war, has not deployed such bombardier drones at scale. “We have very good FPV drones. But all Ukrainian FPV drones are integrated into a unified ground control station, while ours are fragmented — there’s a control station for Ovod drones, then separate systems for fiber-optic drones — all different. They have better standardization. The biggest problem is ‘Baba Yaga,” the blogger added. He also cited private initiatives to produce such drones. For example, the [Upyr ] drone was presented to Putin after reportedly