A Russian field communications operator was hit by an FPV drone while installing a relay antenna on a power line tower during the 29-minute reporting window from 7:45:59 PM to 8:15:36 PM UTC on February 12, 2026. The incident occurred after Russian forces lost Starlink access and began constructing improvised Wi-Fi bridges for communications, according to an X post from bayraktar_1love at https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/2022031201163247951. Russian operators must climb high-voltage transmission towers to place antennas for stable signals, exposing them for extended periods on the drone-controlled frontline and making them vulnerable targets, as detailed in the bayraktar_1love post shared within the reporting window. This follows earlier revelations of Russian use of Western-made Ubiquiti LiteBeam M5 antennas for communications in Pokrovsk, reported by Telegram channel shershni68 and X user moklasen in the prior window ending at 7:15:35 PM UTC. Separately, the radarrussiia Telegram channel reported UAV danger in Tambov Oblast, Russia, during the reporting window, stating "Tambov Oblast. UAV danger. ❗️Radar across all of Russia" via https://t.me/radarrussiia. No additional details on the Tambov incident were provided.
