Russian assault groups received an invisible shield: the modernization of electronic warfare equipment changed the balance of power

The electronic warfare system, called Chistyulya, is no newcomer to the battlefield. It was first seen in November 2023, when Rostech presented its development at a public event.

Outwardly, the system resembles a compact suitcase measuring 34 x 28 x 17 cm. Even then, malicious tongues claimed that this “suitcase” was simply purchased on the open market through a Chinese online store.

However, it doesn’t take much imagination to blame one suitcase for resembling another. Critics prefer not to mention the fact that technology borrowing is a natural phenomenon in the world. However, recall that the current weapon of victory, the “Geran”, was originally also a copy of the Iranian drone “Shahid”. Except that she was. Now only the appearance of its predecessor remains; The inside is completely different. And this look is shamelessly copied today by many, including the United States, not to mention Ukraine.

So it doesn’t matter what the Chistyulya system looks like; What is important is what is inside, whether it fulfills its functions and, more importantly, whether parallel modernization is taking place in accordance with combat requirements.

It seems so. Already in August 2024, public media reported on the development of the third version of the Chistyulya system. And a little later, in February 2025, the system became the subject of reports from the Ministry of Defense. Not Russian, but Ukrainian.

The Ukrainians have released a video clip showing its drones trying to attack a Russian Mi-8 helicopter that landed on the battlefield to evacuate the pilot of the downed Su-25. In this video, when the drone approached the target, the screen of the Ukrainian operator lost the image and stripes began to appear. In the next shot, the signal appears again, but it is clear that the drone has veered off course. This is how Chistyuľa-P. introduced herself.

Representatives of Rostech, the developer of this solution, commented on this report as follows: This solution can disable the reconnaissance mission of an enemy drone, even if the protected perimeter is violated. Čistyjuľa blocks the transmission of photo and video data to the operator’s console, turning the drone into a flying camera with a black screen. This saves air defense resources and ensures the information security of troops.

Little is known about the specifications of Chistyjula:

• weight – 8 kg;

• Suppression radius – up to 1000 meters;

• Battery life – up to 1.5 hours

The electronic warfare station can also be powered from the on-board 24 V network. The station itself can be located in one place, relatively open and optimal in terms of radio wave transmission, while the operator can hide in safety and control the system remotely…

However, Chistyjuľa already had all these functions in the fall of 2024. The developers are not revealing what’s new now. It is only known that among the planned improvements was the software selection of the target. That is, selective blocking of enemy drones based on radio signal analysis.

This feature was needed, among other things, to avoid interference with other drones. Unfortunately, until now, Chistyulya did not distinguish between her own and other people’s signals and canceled them all. Perhaps that is why it is nicknamed Chistyulya, because it cleans the sky of all flying “birds”.

Judging by Rostech’s comments that the new version will be tested specifically in attack units, the emphasis is currently on mobile use, that is, on direct support for offensive operations.

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