Ukraine's Pocket-Sized D·Vision SDR Turns Russian Drone Cameras Against Their Operators

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

How the Interception Works

Many Russian drones transmit their video over the air without encryption, so anyone with the right receiver can watch along. For a Ukrainian unit, that means seeing where an enemy drone is heading and what its pilot is aiming at—before a strike lands.

Lightweight by Design

According to Defense News, the D·Vision SDR weighs roughly 10 ounces—less than half the weight of competing Ukrainian models, one of which tips the scales at a couple of pounds.

Covering New Russian Frequencies

The device also monitors the radio channels that Russia's newer Molniya drones began using for video transmission in June. Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, a radio specialist who advises Ukraine's president, noted in a June Facebook post cited by Defense News that "most detectors don't see these frequencies, or see them poorly." He cautioned that placing too much trust in any single detector could prove fatal.

The Limits of Signal-Based Detection

Beskrestnov has also warned that digital video could eventually replace analog transmission, which would blind receivers like this one. In August, The New York Times reported that some Molniya drones are AI-guided, using Nvidia chips and emitting no signals at all—a development that signals a broader shift toward autonomy in drone warfare.

via TechCrunch