August M
Ukraine is considering tightening rules on the sale of mobile SIM cards after Russia adopted a new drone tactic that extends strike range deep into Ukrainian territory.
Officials say the move follows the growing use of so-called “mothership” drones by Russian forces, reports the Kyiv Independent.
SIM card crackdown?
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, said on Telegram on Feb. 18 that Kyiv may require passport verification for the purchase of local SIM cards.
According to Beskrestnov, Russian forces are using Ukrainian LTE mobile networks and locally obtained SIM cards to control first-person-view (FPV) drones remotely.
“The Russians figured out they could deliver FPV drones on winged UAVs to areas with strong, stable mobile coverage, and then drop the drones on targets,” he said.
He added that operators can control the drones from inside Russia and that flights last “literally minutes.”
‘Mothership’ expansion
Russia has increasingly deployed larger unmanned aerial vehicles capable of carrying and releasing smaller FPV drones mid-air.
This method has extended the range of FPV drones well beyond their previous operating distance of roughly 20–30 kilometers, Ukrainian officials say.
In early 2026, Ukrainian forces reported the first cases of Gerbera and Molniya drones being used as launch platforms. In February, similar tactics were observed with long-range Shahed-type drones, originally developed in Iran and now mass-produced in Russia.
Officials say the drones have targeted civilian vehicles and infrastructure, and the approach has intensified attacks near border areas and Russian-occupied territories.
Difficult trade-offs
Beskrestnov acknowledged that restricting SIM card sales would be “politically unpopular” and require legislative changes. He said the step would not eliminate the threat but could reduce what he described as an “uncontrolled process.”
“In Russia, SIM cards are typically sold with passports, but it is not hard to obtain them through criminals or homeless people,” he noted, adding that Russian forces tend to rely on newly issued cards.
Other countermeasures, such as limiting certain data services, are also being discussed, though he warned such actions would be “painful” domestically.
The developments come as Ukraine’s General Staff reported strikes on six Russian military targets, including an S-300VM missile launcher, and authorities investigate an explosion at a military enlistment office as a suspected terrorist attack.
Sources: The Kyiv Independent
