Presidential adviser accuses ex-commander Syrskyi of inaction on MESH drones
Presidential adviser Sergiy Beskrestnov accused former commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and electronic warfare leadership of a year of systemic inaction against Russian MESH-connected drones, saying Kyiv lacked adequate defenses.
Sergiy "Flash" Beskrestnov, adviser to Ukraine's president on defense technology development, has publicly accused former Armed Forces commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and the leadership of Ukraine's electronic warfare (EW) branch of failing to systematically counter Russian MESH-based drone communications over the past year.
In a Facebook post, Beskrestnov said Russia had been actively developing MESH modem technology for its drones while Ukraine allegedly did not pursue coordinated countermeasures. He also claimed Kyiv was not covered by the necessary electronic warfare equipment.
"As a result, we are now taking hits from jet-powered Shaheds controlled via MESH, and trying to urgently do something with a new EW team," Beskrestnov wrote.
He attached a photo of the cover page of a guidance document on countering enemy drones using MESH-modem communication channels, including the XK-series "Gerbera" and "Geran" drones. Beskrestnov himself is listed as the document's author, and it is dated October 2025. The cover also states the guidance is for internal use only and barred from public release. It could not be confirmed from the published photo whether the document was ever formally approved or implemented within the Armed Forces.
Beskrestnov had earlier suggested that the drone which struck the Security Service of Ukraine building in central Kyiv on September 4 was guided via a relay device activated by a Russian agent within a five-kilometer radius.
Since mid-July, protests took place in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities demanding the reinstatement of Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister and the removal of Syrskyi as commander-in-chief. President Volodymyr Zelensky subsequently announced a change of commander-in-chief, appointing Mykhailo Drapatyi to replace Syrskyi.
