Ukrainian source Sergey Flash reported the first recorded instance of Russian forces controlling a BM-35 UAV via Starlink today, stating such UAVs resist electronic warfare and enable precise strikes under operator control from Russia, according to a post shared over the past 59 minutes through 4:46 PM UTC on January 15, 2026. Flash noted Starlink control was previously observed only on the Molniya UAV and predicted Shahed drones would adopt it within days, describing it as significant trouble for Ukrainian defenses. The report follows recent alerts for jet UAVs heading to Kryvyi Rih and a Shahed drone in Kyiv region, as noted in prior updates through 3:46 PM UTC. Separately, Russian Z-bloggers claimed China has effectively taken control of Russia's Far East from Chita to Vladivostok, collecting taxes and hosting a large Chinese population there, according to an X post by raging545 within the reporting window.
