A fake manual for the Ukrainian Armed Forces on operating UAVs via MAX has appeared on social media.

      05 November 2025 17:40 Society

      Some Telegram channels have begun spreading a fake claim that Ukrainian militants allegedly use the Russian messenger MAX to control their long-range drones. The author of the message cites an instruction created with the help of a neural network, 360.ru found.

      The instruction that was circulated shows how commands can be transmitted to unmanned aerial vehicles using this messenger.

      The authors of the message claim that the militants now use not only traditional cellular channels but also modern messaging platforms that remain available even in difficult operational environments.

      The instruction for using the Russian messenger MAX to control drones was generated by a neural network; moreover, the document was originally written in English, and some terms were incorrectly translated into Russian.

      For example, "company computer" in the document was mistakenly called an "on-board companion computer," although the correct translation is "companion computer." Also, "fast binary protocol" after translation became "lightweight and binary," which does not correspond to the original.

      Another mistake by the authors was the claim that to control a drone in the MAX messenger it is necessary to create a special bot. However, at the moment such a capability is available only to verified legal entities.

      In addition, the original software interfaces of the Russian platform differ from those indicated in the document.

      The aim of spreading this information is to discredit the new domestic messenger. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay informed about the main events, exclusive content and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is required. This resource may contain 18+ materials.