Listening in the Fog of War: How Russia and Ukraine Use Mobile Phone Tracking for Precision Strikes

In the war in Ukraine, mobile phones are not just tools of communication — they are potential death sentences. What was once a staple of everyday life has become a liability for soldiers and civilians alike. Both Russia and Ukraine have developed — or adapted — powerful technologies to track mobile phone signals, using that data to locate enemy positions, build intelligence maps, and in some cases, direct artillery, drone or missile strikes within minutes. This fusion of electronic warfare, signals intelligence (SIGINT) and geolocation technology has redefined how modern armies fight — and how quickly digital footprints can turn into targeting coordinates.

How Mobile Phones Reveal Location

Mobile phones constantly transmit signals, even when not actively being used. These include:

• Cell tower pings (connecting to base stations)

• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals

• App background data (location-sharing, push notifications)

• IMEI/IMSI identifiers (unique device and SIM codes)

Both Russia and Ukraine exploit these emissions in the battlefield — not necessarily by hacking phones, but by detecting and triangulating their radio frequency emissions using a combination of:

• Electronic warfare (EW) vehicles

• Ground-based signal interceptors

• Drones equipped with SIGINT payloads

• Fixed and mobile direction-finding systems

Russia’s Mobile Tracking Capabilities

Russia inherited and expanded Soviet-era expertise in electronic warfare and SIGINT. Key capabilities include:

1. Leer-3 (RB-341V) System

• A central platform in Russia’s tactical SIGINT arsenal.

• Consists of a KamAZ truck command vehicle and Orlan-10 drones.

• The drones simulate GSM cell towers, forcing nearby mobile phones to connect.

• Russia can then:

  
  

  • Extract metadata (IMEI, IMSI, geolocation)

  • Map phone clusters (e.g. Ukrainian troops)

  • Send psychological operations (PSYOPS) texts en masse

  
  

Most dangerously, once a cluster of phones is located, the coordinates are rapidly relayed to artillery, multiple rocket launchers (like the Tornado-S), or loitering munitions.

2. Zoopark-1M and Other Radar-EW Integration

Although primarily used to track artillery fire, Zoopark-type systems can integrate signals data from multiple sources to build targeting profiles that include mobile phone clusters.

3. Surveillance of Civilian Networks

Russia has used captured infrastructure in occupied areas to:

• Tap into local telecommunication systems

• Install IMSI catchers and Stingray-like devices

• Force phones onto Russian mobile networks, exposing users to surveillance, censorship and tracking.

Ukraine’s Mobile Tracking and SIGINT

Despite fewer legacy electronic warfare systems, Ukraine has made remarkable use of:

• Western technology

• Commercial SIGINT platforms

• Drone-integrated and smartphone-driven tracking systems

1. NATO-Provided Tools

Western intelligence agencies have supplied Ukraine with:

• SIGINT data from aircraft like the RC-135 Rivet Joint

• Satellite surveillance able to track GSM activity in broad swaths

2. Domestic Innovation

Ukrainian engineers and military technologists, often in coordination with volunteer IT groups, have developed:

• Apps and tools to geolocate SIM activity

• Passive GSM monitoring arrays

• UAVs carrying compact electronic warfare payloads capable of sniffing out phone signals and relaying GPS-tagged locations

For example Ukrainian special forces have used modified commercial drones to fly over suspected Russian positions and pick up mobile phone emissions — observing concentrations of digital emissions that are used to guide artillery fire or FPV drone swarms.

3. Real-Time Intelligence Integration

Ukrainian forces often combine:

• Phone data

• Thermal drone imagery

• Radio intercepts

• Commercial low-orbital satellite maps (e.g. Planet, Maxar)

This creates near-real-time targeting packages that enable HIMARS or Excalibur artillery strikes with devastating speed.

Fatal Mistakes: Phones as Beacons

There have been multiple documented cases where careless phone use led to high casualties:

• Makiivka (Jan 2023): Russian conscripts reportedly used phones to contact family. Ukrainian artillery struck the building, killing dozens or hundreds. Russian officials blamed “unauthorised use of cell phones.”

• Ukrainian Frontline Units: Ukraine has also suffered losses when phones were used too close to active positions, prompting stricter enforcement of mobile discipline — including signal jamming, Faraday bags, or bans on personal phone use in combat zones.

From Metadata to Munitions: The Kill Chain

The speed of phone-based targeting depends on the connectivity between SIGINT, decision-makers and artillery units. In some cases this loop is completed within minutes:

1. Detection: A phone signal is detected by a drone or electronic warfare station.

2. Localisation: Triangulation or drone telemetry (information fed back to base) determines exact coordinates.

3. Verification: Imagery or pattern analysis confirms enemy presence.

4. Engagement: Artillery, drone strike, or loitering munition is dispatched.

The entire process can occur in 5–30 minutes, especially for pre-planned zones with known threat signatures.

Digital Camouflage: How Troops Try to Hide

To avoid detection, Ukrainian and Russian forces have adapted by:

• Using burner phones

• Removing SIM cards

• Relying on offline messaging

• Communicating through Starlink or mesh radios

• Carrying Faraday pouches to shield emissions

Even so the danger remains. A single misstep — a short call, or a brief background synchronisation with an external mobile telephone tower — can compromise an entire unit.

Conclusion: The Silent Killers in Our Pockets

The war in Ukraine has illustrated a brutal new reality of modern conflict: the phone in your pocket may be more dangerous than the enemy you can see. Both Russia and Ukraine have turned battlefield phone signals into vectors for precision targeting. The blend of electronic warfare, drone surveillance and mobile tracking has shortened the kill chain and erased the line between metadata and mortality.

As militaries around the world observe this digital arms race, it is clear that in future wars, whoever controls the airwaves may control the battlefield. There will inevitably be a relentless competition for superiority in this type of electronic warfare.

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For further technical references on mobile phone tracking and the means of electronic warfare discussed in this article, please feel free to contact us at lvivherald@gmail.com.