Defence Intelligence of Ukraine identified an XK-F358 mesh modem in a Russian Geran-5, documenting hardware associated with communications networks that can relay data and potentially extend drone control.
The agency named China’s Xingkay Tech as the modem’s manufacturer. A January 2026 technical release also listed 3G/LTE modems, satellite-navigation equipment and a turbojet engine among components identified in the aircraft. The listing establishes that the Geran-5 carried the modem; its role in a particular attack is unverified.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov described a relay operation during a strike on Kyiv’s Inkom business center. In a Sept. 27, 2026, post, he said a Geran-5 hit the building while a second jet-powered Shahed circled at an altitude of nearly three kilometers, relaying radio signals and transmitting video. His account does not establish that the recovered XK-F358 modem was used in the strike.
Mesh networks pass data between radio-equipped nodes, allowing a connection to extend beyond a single direct link between an operator and an aircraft. Calibre Defence said the arrangement can give operators more reach, while making the communications harder to disrupt. Mark Hay, CEO of Melrose Networks, told The Kyiv Independent: “It’s a very difficult thing to defeat because it can work around your attempts to defeat it.”
In a Sept. 3 analysis citing Ukrainian sources, Calibre Defence estimated a chain of mesh-equipped drones could sustain live control 150 to 175 kilometers from the furthest ground control station. That estimate describes potential control-link reach, not the distance recorded in the Inkom strike.
Calibre Defence put Chinese-origin mesh modems used on Russian drones at $2,000 to $12,000 each. It also said performance generally drops sharply at distances of 100 to 200 kilometers, with video transmission a key constraint. The analysis did not identify a scheduled decision or next step on countermeasures.
