Russian military analyst Alexei Leonkov said artificial intelligence is helping the country's "Molniya" kamikaze drones strike their targets effectively, according to an interview he gave to the Russian news outlet Lenta.ru.
His comments followed an earlier report from Sergei Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said the Molniya family of kamikaze drones uses artificial intelligence.
How the AI system works
Leonkov said AI-based systems are increasingly being adopted by drones operating along the line of contact. He said the main task of a kamikaze drone is to find and destroy its target, including when the enemy uses electronic warfare equipment to try to jam the signal between the drone and the operator controlling it.
He said this onboard system, which tracks the situation on the ground and identifies available targets, helps the Molniya operate fairly effectively. He said the drones previously relied on Starlink but that Starlink is now barely used, with operators having switched to domestic Russian systems that he said turn the Molniya into a fairly effective, high-precision weapon.
Electronic warfare units try to jam or block the radio and satellite links that drones use to receive commands or transmit video, a tactic that has become central to drone operations along the front line. Starlink, the satellite broadband network operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has been widely used in the conflict to maintain communications in areas with limited infrastructure.
Why the drone is considered unique
Leonkov told Lenta.ru that the Molniya stands out for two reasons. First, he said, it is cheap to produce. Second, he said it is often fitted with a TM-4 anti-tank mine when used against enemy units and shelters, which he said produces a very strong destructive effect.
Recent Molniya developments
In July, it was reported that a Molniya drone flew 120 kilometers while evading zones covered by electronic warfare systems and successfully destroyed its target.
That same month, Beskrestnov said long-range Gerbera drones had begun being used to guide strikes carried out by the Molniya drones.
