Web-based Software Defined Radios (SDR) have exploded in popularity in recent years. SDRs located in Ukraine give you the ability to monitor the airwaves from the middle of potential military action. As of this writing, there are still WebSDRs active within Ukraine. However, there have been warnings about what running a SDR available to the Internet could mean for Ukrainian citizens.

Stanislav Stetsenko was a resident of Crimea and regularly monitored ADS-B traffic. Stan was arrested by Russian Federal Security Services and is currently in prison in Moscow, Russia on charges he is a Ukrainian spy. That incident led to the RTL-SDR enthusiast blog to issue a warning to current Ukrainian SDR enthusiasts. 

• Online WebSDRs via KiwiSDR
• WebSDR (filter to European region)

Russian Military Shortwave Frequencies (Updated 3/1/2022)

Intelligence has been floating around social media listing potential Russian frequencies being used by forces in Ukraine. There has been numerous audio recordings captured from these frequencies that are entirely in the clear (no encryption). If you’ve had success hearing activity on any of the following drop a comment below and let me know what you’ve heard. 

• 5125 KHz USB
• 5130 KHz USB
• 4615 KHz USB
• 7580 KHz USB
• 7811 KHz USB
• 8033 KHz USB
• 8131 KHz USB (Russian Air Force)
• 4220 KHz USB
• 4625 KHz USB 

Russian Bomber VHF Frequencies

These are likely to be AM (amplitude modulation), but might be worth checking FM as well. 

• 124.000 MHz
• 128.500 MHz
• 136.250 MHz
• 138.550 MHz
• 284.650 MHz
• 289.000 MHz
• 358.125 MHz

HF communications are still a crucial part of military communications. Here are some frequencies worth monitoring as tensions rise in Ukraine. The frequencies below separated by district provide coded messages and are thought to be run by the Russian military. You’ll likely hear jamming by citizens across the world as a form of radio frequency protest. Data provided by Pyriom. 

Western Military District

• The Buzzer (4625 kHz)
• D marker (5292 kHz)
• T marker (4182 kHz)
• The Air Horn (3510 kHz)
• The Goose (4310/3243 kHz)
• The Alarm (4770 kHz)
• Katok-65 (4224/3218.5 kHz)

Southern Military District

• The Pip (5448/3756 kHz)
• The Squeaky Wheel (5473/3828 kHz)
• Vega (5372 kHz)
• Baron-78 (3850/4940 kHz)

Russian Air Force Frequencies

• All voice frequencies mentioned on this page are on the upper sideband.
• The aircraft callsigns are made of 5 digits.
• The primary/secondary designations reflect the usage by aircraft; the ground stations usually transmit on all frequencies simultaneously.

Military Transport Aviation

Frequencies (kHz)

• 6685
• 8847 (secondary)
• 11360
• 18030

Ground station callsigns

• Davlenie: 708th Regiment, Taganrog
• Kasta: 224th Detachment, Tver
• Klarnetist: 196th Regiment, Tver
• Korsar: Military Transport Aviation HQ, Moscow
• Magnetron: 566th Regiment, Seshcha
• Lad’ya: Heard in radio checks, location unconfirmed
• Polis: 117th Regiment, Orenburg
• Polotno: Heard in radio checks, location unconfirmed
• Proselok: 334th Regiment, Pskov

This network carries plain voice traffic between transport aircraft and the Military Transport Aviation units.

Voice Frequencies (USB):  5827, 5833, 5803, 5617, 5827, 8131, 8090, 

                                                    8909, 8033, 8131, 11223, 11320

Call signs 

“Balans” (Moscow)

“Katolik” (Saratov)

“Dvojchatka” (Moscow-2)

“Limit” (Saratov-2)

“Nabor” (Moscow)

“Shpora” (Saratov)

“Balans” (Moscow-2)

“Tezis” (Saratov-2)

“Ochistka” (Moscow)

“Medyanka” (Saratov)

“Duga” (Saratov-2)

“Stupen” (Moscow)

“Tablica” (Saratov)

“Kedr” (Saratov-2)

“Balans” (Moscow)

“Katolik” (Saratov)

“Dvojchatka” (Moscow-2)

“Limit” (Saratov-2)

Training operations are conducted away from the main frequencies. Voice communications take place within the 5.6 MHz range, with a single ground station present using a distinct callsign. Otherwise, the procedures used are exactly the same. The voiced callsigns for the ground stations when conducting training are named above as Moscow-2 and Saratov-2.

Training operations are conducted away from the main frequencies. Voice communications take place within the 5.6 MHz range, with a single ground station present using a distinct callsign. Otherwise, the procedures used are exactly the same. The voiced callsigns for the ground stations when conducting training are named above as Moscow-2 and Saratov-2.

REA4

REA4 is a Morse code station of the Long-Range Aviation that broadcasts airfield weather reports and “Monolith” messages.

Thanks to K0LWC