SIM card of Ukrainian operator found in Shahed drone

A downed Russian Shahed attack drone appeared to have a battery, a modem and a SIM card of  the mobile operator Kyivstar. 

Source: the Institute for the Study of War (ISW); Telegram of OSINT investigators; Kyivstar on X 

Details: Military analysts, citing open Ukrainian sources, reported that Russian forces have been using Ukrainian Kyivstar SIM cards to control Shahed drones. 

In addition, the SIM card allows Russian forces to use the Kyivstar mobile network to track the drone's location and change its flight path.

Photo: Necro Mancer on X 

Kyivstar commented on this situation and emphasised that the company cooperates with law enforcement agencies so that such incidents do not occur.

Background: 

• Earlier in November, it became known that the Russians were covering the Shahed kamikaze drones with carbon or repainting them black to make it harder for Ukrainian air defences to shoot them down. 
• On the night of 24-25 November, the Russians launched a record number of attack UAVs at Ukraine  – 75 Shaheds, 74 of which were shot down.

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