Ukraine’s new pocket-sized gadget turns Russian drones’ cameras against them

Kyiv-based startup Kvertus has developed a pocket-sized, 10-ounce receiver that allows Ukrainian troops to tap into and watch the live video feeds of Russian drones, turning the drones' own cameras into an intelligence asset on the battlefield. The device works by intercepting the unencrypted video signals that most Russian first-person-view (FPV) and reconnaissance drones transmit back to their operators, giving Ukrainian soldiers real-time awareness of what Russian forces are seeing and where their drones are operating. The technology matters because drone video feeds have become central to battlefield intelligence in the Russia-Ukraine war, and cheap countermeasures like this can shift tactical advantage at low cost compared to traditional electronic warfare systems. However, the advantage may be short-lived: Russian manufacturers are moving toward digital video transmission and AI-guided drones that emit no detectable signals, which would render the receiver ineffective against those newer models. The company has not disclosed revenue or user numbers, but the device is reportedly in use by Ukrainian units at the front. What to watch next is whether Russian drone makers such as those supplying the military with digital-link systems accelerate the transition fast enough to neutralize this low-cost Ukrainian countermeasure, and whether Kvertus can adapt the product to counter digital or AI-guided threats.