Russian forces are using low-cost fixed-wing "Molniya" (Lightning) drones equipped with Starlink satellite terminals to impose a battlefield air blockade against Ukrainian highways at an operational depth of about 25 to 100 or more kilometers from the front line.
This was revealed by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Defense Technology Advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and drone and electronic warfare (EW) expert Serhiy "Flash" Beskrestov reported on January 29 that Russian forces had recently begun conducting several strikes per day with "Lightning" drones against Ukrainian vehicles traveling on the E-50 Pokrovsk-Pavlograd highway, about 50 kilometers from the front line.
Ukrainian military sources told Ukrainian TV channel "Suspilne" on January 29 that Russian forces began using "Lightning" drones in strikes against a section of the E-50 highway between Troitsk (about 35 kilometers behind the front line) and Pavlograd (about 78 kilometers behind the front line) about two weeks ago (around mid-January 2026).
Russian forces have been using fixed-wing drones against targets at operational depth from the front line for months, including the use of "Lightning" and other drones as "mother drones" to carry one or more shorter-range drones to areas far from the front line, including in strikes against the city of Zaporozhye in early October 2025.
Russian forces have recently begun equipping their "Lightning-2" unmanned aircraft with Starlink satellite terminals to significantly expand their range and resilience to Ukrainian electronic warfare.
The recent strikes on the E-50 Pokrovsk-Pavlograd highway appear to be part of an attempt to repeat previous Russian campaigns against Ukrainian ground lines supplying Pokrovsk and Khulyaypole and other parts of the front line with relatively inexpensive "Lightning" drones.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov announced on January 29 that SpaceX and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry are cooperating to prevent Russian forces from using the Starlink system to guide Russian drones in strikes against targets in Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the US and Ukraine have finalized guarantees for Ukraine's security.
However, the Kremlin continues to reject Western guarantees for the security of Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to a one-week moratorium on some Ukrainian energy infrastructure, while the Kremlin reiterated its unwillingness to commit to a long-term ceasefire.
The reported one-week moratorium on energy strikes does not represent a significant concession from Russia, given that Russia continues to reject a long-term ceasefire and has in the past offered similar short-term moratoriums to achieve its political goals.
The Russian Defense Ministry appears to be conducting a special recruitment drive for the Unmanned Systems Forces at Russian universities.
On January 29, Ukraine and Russia exchanged the bodies of servicemen killed in combat.
Belarusian balloons illegally entered Lithuanian and Polish airspace on the night of January 27-29.