The Russian Federation is searching for new ways to guide drones like the "Shahed" without using satellite navigation to avoid jamming by electronic warfare (EW) systems. One of the options is to use ground-based radio beacons, which will allow drones to determine their location without GPS, relying on signals from multiple points.
According to advisor to the President of Russia Sergey Beskrestnov, Ukraine is already using similar technology on its reconnaissance drones. The Russians began developing this idea back in 2022, and in December 2025, they officially presented their navigation system using radio beacons called "Ariadna."
The "Ariadna" project has not been closed; on the contrary, it continues to evolve. Currently, there is consideration of installing this system on "Shahed" drones and cruise aviation bombs (CAB). This would allow the drones to navigate deep within Ukrainian territory, at a distance of up to 100 km from established radio beacons, even during EW operations.
This solution would effectively provide the Russian military with the ability to accurately strike a significant portion of Ukrainian territory.