THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Ukraine has deployed dedicated drone screens for medical evacuation teams operating in Donbas sectors after repeated Russian FPV strikes on collection points. The adjustment forces reliance on shorter range systems that reduce loiter time. Extraction delay... #UkraineWar #DroneWarfare #MEDEVAC

Ukraine found Russian artillery's weak spot and destroyed 250 systems in ... Ukraine destroyed 250Russian artillery systems in two nightsduring Operation Artashan using a newlydeveloped munition designedspecifically to destroy artillerybarrels, Defense Minister MykhailoFedorovannouncedin a PRESSING YouTubeinterview with Army Media. OperationArtashan is the sequel to last year'sOperation Ashan, which targeted Russianarmored vehicles, with the newoperation focused specifically onRussian artillery. The Artashanoperation matters because Russianartillery remains responsible for over10% of Ukrainian military casualties onparts of the front, reaching up to 20%on some sectors, per Fedorov. The newmunition specifically addresses atactical problem that has limitedUkrainian counter-artillery effectiveness: standard drone or projectile strikes often damage but don't permanently disable Russian artillery, allowing Russian forces to repair systems and return themtocombat positions. Ukrainian engineersspent recent months developing thespecialized munition that targets theartillery barrel — the key elementwhose destruction renders a systempermanently inoperable. "A specialprojectile was devel…

Ukraine offers low-cost interceptor drones to aid US in Middle East war ... A serviceman controls an FPV drone of “General Cherry” company at the polygon in Ukraine, on Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File) FPV drones are seen in a storage of the workshop of “General Cherry” company in Ukraine, on Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — As the war in the Middle East strains U.S. missile stocks, Ukraine is hoping it can turn a wartime innovation —low-cost interceptorsdesigned to shoot down Russian attack drones — into geopolitical leverage. Now one of the world’s leading producers of interceptors, Ukraine is offering that expertise to the United States and its Gulf partners for the war in the Middle East, hoping to receive in return the high-end weaponry it can’t manufacture at home. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion four years ago, Ukraine’s domestic arms industry was poor. Forced to innovate to survive, it has since built a fast-growing defense sector centered on low-cost drones — some designed specifically to counter Iranian-style Shahed drones of the kind that Russia now launches by the hundreds. The U.S. recently request…

Next up on Ukraine war's futuristic battlefield: Land drones ... Europe Robot wars: Ukraine now adding ‘land drones’ to its futuristic arsenal | Efrem Lukatsky/AP/File A manufacturer tends to a Ukrainian-made unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) holding a dummy land mine at a Ukraine Defense Innovations exhibition for military clients at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, April 11, 2025. Loading... By Howard LaFranchi Staff writer May 31, 2026, 7:00 a.m. ET | Kharkiv region, Ukraine Located down a dirt road that traverses spring-green fields, the white-washed, blue-shuttered farmhouse looks like any other in this eastern region of Ukraine bordering Russia. On the outside, the scene could be a quaint depiction of 19th-century farm life: Flowering pear trees partly obscure the house and its outbuildings surrounding a small courtyard. Cows can be heard next door. But step inside the old farmhouse or one of the barns, and it’s 21st-century warfare in the making. Why We Wrote This The Ukraine war has transformed the battlefield. First, it was aerial drones. Now, ground robots are being developed and deployed for reconnaissance, deliveries, evacuations, and handling mines. The goal: to help U…

Mapping the MilTech war: eight lessons from Ukraine's battlefield Through open-source research, defense technology data analysis, and in-the-field interviews in Ukraine and in NATO countries with the military, industry, civil society and government actors, the report dives into 8 groups of technologies. Key takeaways:The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) evolved in 8 phases in the last 4 years, transforming from simple reconnaissance tools into sophisticated, partially AI-coordinated weapon systems. They have sparked the electronic warfare (EW) arms race between Russia and Ukraine, which in turn was rendered obsolete with the emergence of the fiber-optic cable drone in 2024. The following year, machine learning and Artificial intelligence (AI) integration emerged as the strategic game-changer and signaled the race toward AI coordination of multiple systems and eventually decision-making. Ukraine’s naval-drone campaign reflects a transition from improvised, isolated uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) strikes to a coordinated, multi-domain operational system. While it does not bring naval domination, it allowed to push back a far more superior enemy and secure vital export corridors. …

Opinion: Flamingos Make Progress, Crimea Choked, German High Tech In brief:Ukraine is gaining the upper hand across multiple fronts. Its middle-strike drone campaign is systematically dismantling Crimea’s logistics routes, severing key causeways and crippling supply lines. Long-range strikes hit deep into Russia, including a significant blow to a military electronics plant in Cheboksary. Ukrainian drones now outnumber Russia’s, and by most counts, Ukraine is launching more guided weapons into Russian-controlled territory than vice versa – a remarkable position for a country one-fifth the size of Russia. The big news last week (June 7-12) was the Ukrainian middle-strike campaign – which was already pretty punishing – gained momentum, especially in Crimea. The Ukrainian intent to degrade logistics to and from Crimea is now obvious. What they plan to do when they reach that objective, we’ll see. But that it is Ukraine with the initiative and not Russia, in that slice of the war, believe it. The question is whether the Ukrainians can sustain the pace of attacks, and that is, how many drones are available now and how many for the rest of the summer. To a lesser extent, it’s a questio…

The New Weapon Behind Ukraine’s Battlefield Success — Foreign Affairs Forum Jun 8 Jun 8 The New Weapon Behind Ukraine’s Battlefield Success Dr. Antonio Bhardwaj Executive Summary Ukraine’s expanding use of mid-range strike drones has altered the operational geometry of the war by bringing Russian logistics, air defenses, transport routes, and rear-area military activity under sustained pressure at depths once considered relatively secure. Recent reporting indicates that these systems are being used against targets roughly 30-180 kilometers behind the line of contact, with some strikes reaching close to 100 miles behind Russian positions, thereby complicating Moscow’s ability to move fuel, ammunition, and vehicles efficiently across contested terrain. The resulting effect is not merely tactical attrition. It is a campaign designed to thin Russian battlefield mass by degrading the material bloodstream that sustains offensive operations. The importance of this campaign lies in its combination of affordability, scale, and operational adaptability. Ukrainian forces and defense innovators have built a system in which drones are not simply adjunct weapons but part of a broader architect…

Ukraine Doubles Russian Air Defense Losses as Drone Strikes Reshape ... The Ukrainian Armed Forces are actively targeting Russian air defense systems. Increased production and improved drone technology allowed Ukraine to destroy twice as many air defenses and radars in April compared to October 2025. These expanding gaps in Russia's defensive umbrella weaken both the front lines and the rear. The front loses supplies as ammunition and equipment warehouses are hit, while the rear is left vulnerable to strikes on energy infrastructure and military-industrial sites, according to Der Spiegel on May 13. We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field. DONATE NOW Ukrainian attacks are particularly effective at medium ranges within 200 kilometers of the front line. Drones disable medium-range surface-to-air missile systems like the Tor and Buk, and occasionally destroy more expensive systems like the S-300. Based on WarSpotting data, while the Ukrainian military destroyed 16 air defense systems, radars, and jamming devices in the fall of 2025, that number rose to 37 between March and May 10 of this year. Medium-range drones conducted approximately 600 strik…

Battlefield Drones and the Accelerating Autonomous Arms Race in Ukraine ... Battlefield Drones and the Accelerating Autonomous Arms Race in Ukraine Samuel Bendett and David Kirichenko | 01.10.25 Share on Facebook Share Share on Twitter Tweet Share on LinkedIn Share Send email Mail Print Print Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the war there has been impacted by attritable, cheap drones and rapidly growing roster of unmanned and robotic systems. Collectively, these technologies are redefining how military forces can wage modern warfare. With both sides in this war rushing to secure a technological advantage, the Ukrainian battlefield is transforming into a clash between conventional forces backed by a growing number of autonomous and remote-controlled systems. Both Ukraine and Russia have steadily poured more and more resources into developing this technology in a bid to stay a step ahead of the adversary. Ukraine’s battlefield experience reflects a shift toward unmanned systems that augment or attempt to replace human operators in the most dangerous missions, and against an enemy willing to send more and more manpower into large-scale frontal assaults.…

1/2 Defense of Ukraine: Ukraine has cleared 50 new ground robotic systems for service since January. They run logistics and casualty evacuation on the deadliest stretches of the front- keeping soldiers out of the kill zone.

Seven Contemporary Insights on the State of the Ukraine War Photo: Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images Report byMick Ryan Published November 17, 2025 The war in Ukraine remains a rapidly evolving conflict. The battlefield, strategic strike, information operations, and industrial production campaigns remain crucial to both Ukraine’s and Russia’s war efforts. In all of these endeavors, there is an ongoing adaptation spiral occurring that is spinning out innovative techniques and technologies. At the same time, this is providing insights for Western strategists and force structure planners. This white paper provides contemporary insights into the war and offers assessments on what they mean for possible conflict trajectories in the coming months. These insights are based on the author’s multiple visits to Ukraine, including one in October 2025. The seven key findings offer external observers not only an update on this rapidly changing war, but a view from the ground into how the character of war itself is evolving. The eastern front line continues to be saturated with drones. As a result, within 15 kilometers (km) of the front line,vehicle movement is d…

NewsInsideUkraine t.me/c/1966917236... Since the beginning of the year, the Ukrainian military have carried out over 50,000 logistical and evacuation missions on UAVs, - Ministry of Defense Since the beginning of the year, the use of robotic complexes has shown a growing trend on the front:

Ukraine's military industry has turned into the Wild West (Foreign ... FP: Ukraine's military industry has turned into the Wild West Ukraine is ready to become a "Wild West" for gunsmiths, writes FP. Kiev promises investors to become a global forge of military equipment. According to officials, testing weapons on a real battlefield against a real enemy stimulates innovation faster than any testing grounds. Luke McGee Live combat experience can give Ukrainian manufacturers a tangible advantage. Ukraine is preparing for the Kremlin's summer offensive, which will significantly deplete its arsenals. Anticipating that their replenishment will require the constant involvement of Western patrons, Kiev is opening up to investors, as one official put it, the “Wild West” of its industry, promising to become the world's forge of the deadliest military equipment. Over the past three years, Ukraine's NATO allies have donated about $140 billion worth of weapons that have helped contain Russia. But even after receiving missile defense systems, drones and artillery, Ukraine is developing its own military industry — and has succeeded very well in this. Close attention is being paid to attack…

Innovating Under Fire: Lessons from Ukraine's Frontline Drone Workshops Innovating Under Fire: Lessons from Ukraine’s Frontline Drone Workshops Jorge Rivero | 03.25.25 Share on Facebook Share Share on Twitter Tweet Share on LinkedIn Share Send email Mail Print Print Author’s note: This article draws heavily from interviews conducted in January 2025 with Ukrainian Marines, who generously shared their insights on UAV tactics, organizational structure, and personnel management. The interviews were conducted over five days and provided insights into drone operations, infantry tactics, electronic warfare, and technical innovation during the war. Over the past three years of war, footage from Ukraine spread on social media has become a daily reminder of the outsized—and growing—role drones play on today’s battlefield. This footage emphasizes the centrality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War, in particular, while also signaling their transformative role in modern warfare more generally. Drone strikes account for approximately 70 percent of Russian casualties and, in some parts of the front, 90 percent of Russian military equipment losses in engagements w…

Defense of Ukraine💙💛 Ukraine has cleared 50 new ground robotic systems for service since January They run logistics & casualty evacuation on the deadliest stretches of the front—keeping soldiers out of the kill zone Over 50,000 missions in 2026. Each one was a soldier who didn't have to go into

Ukrainians and foreigners train for drone warfare at Kyiv's Killhouse ... A Ukrainian soldier with the call sign Price smiles when he is asked if he has any combat experience of drones. “Only running away from them,” he says. It was a Russian mortar, not a drone, that took off part of one of Price’s legs, and although it ended his career as an infantry squad commander it did not blunt his desire to defend Ukraine. Now Price (31) is learning how to build and fly drones at the Killhouse academy, a training centre run by Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps at a former industrial site in Kyiv. READ MORE US carries out new attacks on Iran, Trump says agreement to halt fighting is ‘over’ Trump lashes Nato allies before claiming there was ‘a lot of unity’ at Turkish summit European Parliament approves motion calling for Russia alumina export ban Russian attacks kill four in Ukraine and cause vast damage in Kyiv Hundreds of soldiers and civilians take courses every month, and it is open to men and women of all ages, Ukrainians and foreigners. Members of the 3rd Army Corps train for free, soldiers from other units get a discount, and civilians pay; the basic drone course, lasting at least six days, c…

Listening in the Fog of War: How Russia and Ukraine Use Mobile Phone ... 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 rad…

Ukraine's drone advantage over Russia grows as nearly 180,000 military targets struck in May, Syrskyi says Ukraine currently maintains a 1.5-to-1 advantage over Russian forces in the use of FPV drones, with the gap continuing to widen in recent months, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

Ukrainian drones killing Russian troops faster than Moscow can replace ... War Ukrainian drones killing Russian troops faster than Moscow can replace them, drone commander says March 23, 2026 5:48 am • 3 min read Prefer on Google by Olena Goncharova Photo for illustrative purposes. A soldier from the Khanter (Hunter) group of Ukraine's 208th Kherson Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade holds an interceptor drone as the unit carries out combat missions in one of the directions, Ukraine, March 4, 2026. (Nina Liashonok / Ukrinform / Future Publishing via Getty Images) Since the start of winter, Ukrainian drones have killed or incapacitated at least 8,776 more Russian soldiers than Moscow has been able to replace, the commander of Ukraine’s unmanned forces said to the Economist. Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, who leads Ukraine’s drone units, said the shift marks a potential turning point in the war, as Kyiv increasingly focuses on targeting Russian personnel rather than equipment. December became the first month in which verified Russian losses from Ukrainian drone strikes exceeded recruitment, according to Brovdi. At peak intensity, daily losses reached nearly 400 troops — roughly the size of an a…

Ukraine’s drones have opened a summer window of opportunity behind Russian lines. Front-line soldiers tell Ukrainska Pravda the army is on track to waste it. <p>Ukrainian forces have stepped up their use of “midstrikes” — drones able to hit targets several dozen kilometers behind the front line. Their success, alongside that of “deepstrikes,” has fueled assertions that Ukraine has wrested back the initiative and blunted Russia’s advance. Ukrainska Pravda asked soldiers how much the strikes on the “middle rear” are actually changing the situation at the front. Most were cautious about the claim that Ukraine has “seized the initiative,” saying front-line troops don’t yet feel the effect — even as the outlet calls the strikes promising and says their full impact is unlikely to be felt until late summer or early fall.<p>

Ukraine Turning Frontline Into Proving Ground for Western Prototypes ... Ukraine is inviting foreign arms manufacturers to send weapons prototypes for its troops to test in battle against Russian forces. Its defense innovation unit, Brave1, on Thursday launched "Test in Ukraine," a program that it said would trial the new tech in combat and produce a detailed report for thedefense contractor. "This is an opportunity to gain experience that cannot be simulated in laboratories," said Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's minister for digital transformation, at an arms conference in Wiesbaden. Among the program's listed top priorities areuncrewed aerial systems, robot ground vehicles, missiles, and laser weapons. "Test in Ukraine" will require the contractor to teach Ukrainian troops how to use the prototype, though this can optionally be done online, Brave1 said in a statement. After that, Ukraine will assume control over how the tech is used on its frontline. "You hand over your product to Brave1, and we take care of the rest," the organization said on its website. Take a smarter break in your day - and see how far you get. A spokesperson for Brave1 told Business Insider via email th…

DWIM Weekly: May 18–24, 2026 | Sumy Funeral FPV Strike, Latvia ... Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1550: Russian FPV drones hit funeral procession and pensioners in Ukraine Urgency: RED | Theater: Europe | Maturity: PROLIFERATED | Temporal: 🟠 NEW (3d ago) Russia's deliberate FPV targeting of a funeral procession and elderly civilians in Kherson Oblast, corroborated by Ukraine's documented 11,000 FPV attacks on civilians, suggests a systematic operator-level policy of targeting non-combatants rather than isolated incidents of misidentification. Predictive Analysis: [1-month] Ukraine will likely accelerate deployment of short-range electronic warfare jammers at the village and checkpoint level in Kherson and Sumy oblasts, given the documented concentration of FPV civilian strikes in those regions, though procurement and distribution timelines could extend this to six weeks. [3-month] Russia could deploy jet-powered Geran variants in meaningful numbers against border-area targets, given the confirmed construction of 10 additional launch pads at Tsymbulova and the stated intent to circumvent Ukraine's 95% Shahed interception rate, but production scaling constraints make a full operational sh…

Ukraine's Drone War: From Improvisation to Systematised Combat Authors :Kartik Bommakanti|Mohammad Mustafa Ayez Battlefield necessity drove Ukraine’s shift from volunteer drones to AI-enabled, mass-scale unmanned warfare The Russian blitzkrieg in 2022 demanded that Ukraine adopt an unconventional response against a militarily superior adversary. Russia’s air superiority, in particular, forced Ukraine to revise its combat tactics. The latter relied on its fragmented drone ecosystem—including improvised commercial drones, limited stockpiles, and volunteer-built platforms. This adaptive resilience reshaped modern warfare, with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) evolving from an improvised countering mechanism into a structured component of Ukraine’s strategy against Russian aggression. Until 2014, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) possessed nomodern UAVs, relying instead on a few outdatedSoviet-era drones, such as the Tupolev Tu-143, which were largely ineffective for modern-day military operations. The annexation of Crimea and the subsequent conflict in Donbas marked an inflexion point, rendering UAVs a regular feature of Ukrainian military operations thereafter. However, Ukraine’s …

Ukraine Special Operations Forces and the Lessons Learned for Large ... The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has provided invaluable insights into the evolving nature of modern warfare, particularly regarding the role of Special Operations Forces (SOF) in Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO). Ukrainian SOF units have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in countering Russian military operations through a combination ofadaptability,technological integration, andunconventional warfare tactics. Examining the key lessons learned from their operations and their implications for future military doctrine provides critical insights for military planners and strategists worldwide. The success of Ukrainian SOF can be largely attributed to their exceptional adaptability in rapidly changing battlefield conditions. When Russia launched its invasion in February 2022,Ukrainian SOF quickly adjusted their traditional rolesto meet the immediate challenges of high-intensity conflict. These units demonstrated remarkable flexibility in transitioning from their peacetime training and stability missions to supporting LSCO. This transition was particularly challenging given the scale and intensity of Russia…

<<components that make up this According to him, interest in Ukrainian technology and battlefield experience increased after the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Iran used Shahed drones against its neighbors—the same drones Russia has been using to attack Ukraine for several years.>>

Ukraine's Sapsan Battalion Destroys Two Artillery Pieces Within Minutes ... Ukrainian forces continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of unmanned systems on the modern battlefield. A recent operation by the Sapsan unmanned systems battalion underscores just how critical drones have become in countering russian artillery. According to the official report, a pilot from the Sapsan battalion located and destroyed two russian artillery units within just a few minutes of combat work. The targets were russian 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer and D-30 towed howitzer, both widely used by russian forces. The 2S1 Gvozdika is a Soviet-era 122 mm self-propelled artillery system that has seen heavy use in russia’s war against Ukraine. Despite its age, it remains a dangerous asset, capable of delivering rapid fire support for infantry and mechanized units. Similarly, the D-30 122 mm towed howitzer, though older in design, is highly mobile and continues to be employed in large numbers by russian forces. Their simultaneous loss represents not just a tactical setback but also a blow to russia's already strained artillery reserves. The speed of this strike is particularly notable. Within me…

Ukrainian forces destroy British brigade in drone-heavy exercise ByCAITLIN LENG Published:21:21 EDT, 13 February 2026|Updated:07:47 EDT, 14 February 2026 698 Viewcomments Ukrainian forces 'destroyed' a British brigade in a simulatedNatowargame in Estonia last year, it has been revealed. The head of Estonia's unmanned systems unit has said that Hedgehog 2025, a military exercise involving more than 16,000 troops from 12 Nato countries, reproduced a battlefield 'contested and congested' with various drones. A British brigade and an Estonian division were in a battle group consisting of thousands of troops and were defeated by Ukrainian forces in a 'horrible' result for Nato. One participant, who played the enemy, said the battle group was 'just walking around, not using any kind of disguise, parking tents and armoured vehicles'. The aim of the simulation, according to Lt Col Arbo Probal, head of the unmanned systems programme for the Estonian Defence Forces, was to test soldiers' ability to adapt under fire. He said: 'The aim was really to create friction, the stress for units and the cognitive overload as soon as possible.' The scenario imagined a battlefield where tanks …

Russia announces plan to muster reservists to combat Ukrainian drones Moscow intends to use a new draft law to muster reservists to help protect critical infrastructure from drones, the Russian military announced on October 22. This measure comes in response to a Ukrainian deep-strike campaign that has hounded Russian energy infrastructure. Vice Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyansky, deputy chief of the Russian General Staff’s Main Organizational-Mobilization Directorate, made the announcement in abriefingpublished by the Ministry of Defense (MOD). Pointing to the growing threat from Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAS) strikes, he said Moscow had decided to use reservists to defend energy and transportation infrastructure and other critical facilities. Ukraine hasconducteddozens of strikes against Russian energy infrastructure over the last few months, particularly oil refineries. Mainly employing their workhorse FP-1 and Liutyi one-way attack drones, the Ukrainians havestrucknearly half of Russia’s oil refineries since August, hitting some multiple times. The campaign hascausedfuel shortages and a spike in prices. Tsimlyansky said the counter-UAS initiative will utilize newdraft le…

How Ukraine became a drone factory and invented the future of war Killhouse Academy, run by the 3rd Assault Brigade, is Ukraine’s leading drone-pilot school. Its R&D chief (pictured) is known as Shark Mykhaylo Palinchak The grinding, attritional war between Russia and Ukraine is now entirely dominated by drones. Russia pummels Ukraine with long-range kamikaze aircraft and Ukraine knocks them out of the sky with specialised interceptors. The front line has transitioned from an artillery battle to a first-person-view drone fight, while ground-based robots are increasingly used to deliver ammunition and supplies, launch attacks and evacuate the wounded. As a result, in the four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has created from nothing an entire industry and ecosystem capable of designing, manufacturing and operating a variety of ingenious drones. New Scientist was granted access to the pilot schools, labs and factories that are the engine room of this new industry – one that Kyiv hopes to make beneficial and profitable, selling expertise and devices to Western states, once the war is over. Taras Ostapchuk’s sudden transition from civilian life to the military is a co…

New Vehicles and Technologies Redefining Modern Military Tactics: The ... 1.IntroductionModern warfare increasingly demonstrates that innovation is driven not only by long-term planning but also by the urgent, adaptive pressures of the battlefield. Nowhere is this clearer than in Ukraine, where sustained conflict has accelerated the development of new military vehicles and technologies that are reshaping tactics in real time. Rather than relying primarily on traditional armored formations, Ukraine has adopted a distributed model centered on unmanned systems, robotics, and artificial intelligence integrated directly into frontline operations. 2.The Ratel H UGV: A New Class of Ground Combat VehicleOne emblematic example is the Ratel H, an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) developed by the Ukrainian firm Ratel Robotics. Originally a civilian manufacturer, the company transitioned to defense production following the 2022 invasion, illustrating the bottom-up innovation model that characterizes Ukraine’s wartime ecosystem. The Ratel H is a six-wheeled, modular platform designed for operations in harsh terrain. It can perform multiple missions, including logistics resupply, casualty evacua…

'Country number one': Western arms manufacturers line up to test ... May 28, 2026 onlyfactsplease ‘Country number one’: Western arms manufacturers line up to test weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine – Business Insider 05/28/2026 Western arms manufacturers use Ukraine as a testing ground for their weapons systems. A state program called “Testing in Ukraine” was created specifically for these needs in the summer of 2025 . Now hundreds of international companies are lining up to test their developments in realistic combat conditions, Business Insider reports. Arms corporations seize the opportunity Andriy Hrytsenyuk, CEO of the Ukrainian innovation platform Brave1, said that dozens of companies are currently testing their systems in Ukraine. At the same time, interest in this opportunity is only growing, and both large defense firms and small startups want to test their systems. In fact, Ukraine has become a major testing ground for drones and has developed cutting-edge technologies in robotics and autonomous systems since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The race for drone technology has transformed what was once a battlefield necessity into a burgeoning defense …

The drone everyone called obsolete in the 2010s just decided the fate of battlefield medicine in Ukraine. Drone lethality is making it difficult to rescue wounded, forcing a reevaluation of medical evacuation protocols. Who will adapt these tactics next? #DroneWarfare #MEDEVAC #Ukraine

Ukraine Emerges as World Leader in Drone Technology Driven by Battle ... Ukraine is now producing roughly 4 million drones per year, a level that exceeds the combined output of all NATO members according to recent reporting. The surge reflects a battlefield driven shift toward precision mass and positions Kyiv as a rising global force in military drone manufacturing. According toBloombergon November 11, 2025, Ukraine is now producing around 4 million drones per year, more than any NATO country and likely more than the entire Alliance combined. Ukrainian officials and independent institutes estimate that in 2024 alone the country produced about 2.2 million UAVs of all types, with more than 1.5 million of them FPV combat drones, and expects output to exceed 4.5 million drones in 2025. From a pre-war base of roughly ten manufacturers, Kyiv has built an ecosystem of several hundred drone producers, turning a state under attack into the world’s leading industrial power in unmanned systems.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link Ukraine's battle-tested drone industry now leads the world industry, flooding the battlefield with cheap FPVs, tactical UAVs and long-rang strike …

How Ukrainian interceptor drones learned to shoot down Shaheds ... Over the past year, Russia’s war against Ukraine has been marked by an unprecedented surge in UAV use. Drones have become a key element of reconnaissance, fire correction, and target destruction. Drones are so numerous that air defense systems are running out of ammunition to shoot them down. Additionally, as the range of FPV drones has grown, frontline air defense systems have themselves become vulnerable, and reconnaissance UAVs continue to fly unimpeded into the rear at altitudes of several kilometers. However, Ukrainian — and later Russian — forces have learned how to intercept drones en masse using a different type of drone: the anti-aircraft kind. Combined with other elements of layered air defense, these are capable of neutralizing threats that traditional air defense weapons are worst-equipped to cope with. Ukrainian interceptor drones, often operated from hundreds of kilometers away, are already shooting down as many as 45% of targets. This technological know-how may prove useful in other conflicts, including in the Middle East. Доступно на русском Contents 1 . An air defense revolution: cheap and effectiv…

The Ukraine war has transformed the battlefield. First, it was aerial drones. Now, ground robots are being developed for reconnaissance, deliveries, evacuations, and handling mines. The goal: to help Ukraine stand up to its larger Russian enemy #ukraine #war #drones www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe...

How Russia Is Building a Sovereign Drone Ecosystem for AI-Driven ... - CSIS Photo: ANTON PETRUS/GETTY IMAGES; CONTRIBUTOR/GETTY IMAGES Report byKateryna Bondar Published April 13, 2026 This paper examines how Russia is developing military artificial intelligence (AI) and incrementally moving toward autonomous decisionmaking, particularly at the tactical edge. The takeaways below outline the core findings on how these capabilities are built, adapted, and scaled within Russia’s wartime military ecosystem. For the United States, the central lesson is that success in AI-enabled unmanned systems requires an ecosystem approach. To advance its ambitions in autonomous technology, the United States must implement a national systems project approach that incorporates and aligns training, testing, dual-use innovation, government implementation, and civil-military cooperation. Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war has revealed something that, until recently, remained largely theoretical—the emergence of fully autonomous weapons systems deployed in the battlefield. While early assessments of Russia’s military performance showed institutional…

Ukraine deploys combat robots, drone tanks as war enters new phase The Russia-Ukraine war is witnessing a massive transformation with Kyiv introducing robots, drones, and remotely piloted tanks to the battlefields. As the war enters its fifth year, Ukraine is shifting much of its war effort to machines, giving Kyiv an edge over a stretched Russian force, according to a report by CNN. In April, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Ukraine had captured a Russian position entirely by deploying robots and drones, adding that since January, unmanned systems had carried out 22,000 missions. The use of robotic systems helped the Ukrainian units overcome challenges like manpower shortages and uncertainty over the support from the United States. The military said that the operations conducted by unmanned systems have helped significantly reduce battlefield casualties, according to the report. The assaults that were carried out by the unmanned ground vehicles secured outcomes that would have otherwise required thousands of soldiers and led to risking heavy losses. Combat robots, equipped with large explosive payloads, have gradually taken over as the key part of modern warfare. …

Ukraine uses ground robots in war with Russia : State of the World from NPR : NPR https://www.byteseu.com/2101863/ Soldiers from the 93rd Brigade’s ground drone unit, known as Alter Ego, with two of the “land robots” Ukraine now uses for frontline tasks such as logistics, evacuations and even …

How Ukraine's Drone Innovation Reversed Russia's Momentum Council on Foreign Relations Share By experts and staff Published June 12, 2026 7:00 a.m. Michael C. Horowitz CFR Expert Senior Fellow for Technology and Innovation Erin D. Dumbacher CFR Expert Stanton Nuclear Security Senior Fellow Lauren Kahn Senior Research Analyst Share Michael C. Horowitz previously served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Force Development and Emerging Capabilities and director of the Emerging Capabilities Policy Office. He is the director of Perry World House and Richard Perry professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Erin Dumbacher most recently served in the Department of Defense in the Office of the Under Secretary for Policy’s force development and emerging capabilities office. Lauren Kahn previously served as an advisor for Force Development and Emerging Capabilities in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Ukrainian innovation has led to territorial gains on the battlefield. In large part due to the scaling up of drone operations, Ukraine was able to retake seventy-eight square miles over five days in February 2026 and has continued making gains throughout its …

Why Ukraine should not become a testing ground for the world's new ... Libkos/AP Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been imploring the US, UK and other allies for advanced fighter jets to assist in defending against Russia’s unlawful invasion – a move that could come soon and potentially alter the course of the war. This comes after Germany and the US finally agreed to give more than 300 heavy tanks to Ukraine after much debate. Some observers have focused on whether providing increasingly sophisticated weaponry is a good idea for strategic reasons , such as whether it risks further escalating the conflict. But another important issue that has received less attention is whether this technology being gifted to Ukraine complies with international law. The use of new, untested military technology in Ukraine – even if outwardly for altruistic purposes – could be problematic and even unlawful. In some instances, for example, military suppliers may have a secondary interest: field-testing their new technologies in a real conflict. Such testing risks harm to civilians and further destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure, as well as causing unnecessary suffering to combatants on bo…

How Ukraine's Drone Strikes Are Crippling Russia's Air Defense Network ... Ukraine’s systematic campaign against Russian air defense systems is turning once heavily protected airspace into a network of exploitable gaps. With dozens of confirmed hits on launchers and radars in the first months of 2026 alone, Kyiv is reshaping the geometry of the battlefield and forcing Moscow into impossible choices. Apr 07, 2026 10:27 Updated Apr 08, 2026 21:04 10 min read Prefer U24 Media on Google Authors Louis Beaudemont News Editor The first months of 2026 have been nothing short of disastrous for Russia’s air defense. In late March, a Ukrainian strike put out of action the Russian S-400 Triumph—a mobile launcher capable of engaging nearly 100 targets simultaneously—in the Tula region. Days earlier, the Bryansk region’s Buk-M3 system suffered the same fate. In January, a 9S32M1 radar (part of the S-300V system) was pulverized, with video evidence to support it. And that’s without mentioning the Pantsir-S1 air defense system, neutralized by a drone near the temporarily occupied Melitopol (the village of Nove). This remarkable tally represents only part of Ukraine’s new campaign against Russian …

Ukraine bolsters its northern defences amid fears Belarus is being dragged into war <p>Kyiv is not taking any risks amid Moscow’s efforts to integrate Minsk ever more closely into its war</p><p>Russian spy drones flying into Ukraine from Belarusian airspace have sharply increased since the beginning of the year, as senior officials in Kyiv express mounting concern over Belarus’s involvement in the war.</p><p>Ukraine has stepped up by reinforcing fortifications on its northern border, including anti-tank ditches, concrete “dragons’ teeth” obstacles to block armoured vehicles and new areas of barbed wire. Troops operating along the border say they have noted a jump of about 20% in Russian intelligence drones since January.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/18/ukraine-bolsters-its-northern-defences-amid-fears-belarus-is-being-dragged-into-war">Continue reading...</a>

Ukraine's Drone Revolution: Foreign Volunteers Join Forces with 25th ... Meet the newest unit in the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade—made up entirely of foreign volunteers whose sole focus is to engineer and pilot drones. Aug 23, 2024 17:43 Updated Jul 03, 2025 01:25 7 min read Prefer U24 Media on Google Authors Audrey MacAlpine Correspondent Ukraine is making drones in large numbers and recruiting foreigners to help. Near the frontlines, Ukrainian soldiers of the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade work alongside foreign volunteers who are training to operate and engineer drones. The newfound efficacy these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) bring to the battlefield is undeniable and is changing the landscape of the war. UNITED24 Media travels to the brigade's base to meet with these heroic foreign volunteers, who have traveled from across the world to defend Ukraine. Foreign volunteers The volunteers come from all over the world, the majority hailing from Ukraine’s allied countries: the United States, England, Canada, Ireland, and Australia. They are mostly, if not all, men aged 19 to their late 30s. Experience is not required, just a desire to work hard and serve Ukraine. “The only army…

Imagining a US Army Drone Corps - Modern War Institute Imagining a US Army Drone Corps Joshua Suthoff | 12.19.24 In February 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the creation of the Unmanned Systems Forces. It is no secret that the Ukrainian military has used drones to great effect. Its units continue to innovate with drone tactics, techniques, and procedures and effects in the air, land, and maritime domains. Both belligerents in the Russia-Ukraine War have pledged to build over a million aerial drones each year to fill the skies. Even with the extremely innovative use of the drones ( mine laying , incendiary delivery ) already observed in Ukraine, history will show that the most important attribute of drones has been their ability to serve as economy-of-force systems. In a grinding war of attrition, drones have allowed the Ukrainian military to protect its limited combat power and threaten a much larger combat force across multiple domains. The Unmanned Systems Forces that Zelenskyy announced amount, effectively, to a drone corps. US policymakers have taken note of the effectiveness of drones in the conflict and a drone corps may also be coming to the US Army.…

How Russia, Ukraine deploy new technologies, tactics on the battlefield ... There's a new look of the Russian army in Ukraine: Soldiers on motorcycles who race across no-man's land, counting on speed to evade Ukrainian fire … but not always able to outrun the swarms of drones which hover over the battlefield and can pick off fighters one-by-one. A Ukrainian drone (highlighted, left) strikes a Russian solder on a motorcycle. 47th Mechanized Brigade/CBS News George Barros, of the Institute for the Study of War , says it's one of the new tactics Russia has used to seize 430 square miles of territory over the past nine months. "At the moment the Russians have the upper hand," Barros said. "The Russians are able to choose where, when, the tempo of battle, and what intensity that they want to conduct offensive operations anywhere along this entire 600-mile front line. … It puts them within striking distance of some very important ground lines of communication [and] supply corridors that connect some of the really important large cities that constitute the backbone of Ukraine's defense of eastern Ukraine." But the price Russia is paying to make these advances is very high; according to B…

Ukraine says more than 80% of enemy targets now destroyed by drones PARIS — Ukraine says drones now account for more than 80% of enemy targets destroyed as the country’s fight against Russia’s invasion approaches the five-year mark, with most of the drones manufactured locally. Ukrainian forces recorded 819,737 video-confirmed drone hits in 2025, the Ministry of Defence said on Monday , at an event to award the most effective drone units. Almost a third of the drone strikes targeted enemy personnel, according to data tied to the armed forces’ internal bonus system that awards points for confirmed hits. “We clearly record every single hit,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the event, in comments in Ukrainian translated by the president’s office. “We also have points awarded for every hit. Our bonus-based electronic points system is working to scale up the results our defense.” Drones have become a defining feature of the war in Ukraine, with both sides scaling up production to millions of units per year and coming up with new ways to use them, leaving armed forces across Europe scrambling to learn the lessons. One Ukrainian innovation has been a system to verify drone strikes …

What Russia's summer drone blitz in Ukraine says about the future of ... Cover Story In Ukraine, swarms of Russian drones and missiles are transforming combat | Scott Peterson/Getty Images/The Christian Science Monitor Firefighters battle a blaze at a food warehouse caused by two Russian ballistic missiles, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, July 30, 2025.  Loading... By Scott Peterson Staff writer @peterson__scott Aug. 14, 2025, 5:00 a.m. ET | Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraine As Ukrainian mother-to-be Bogdana Zhupanyna enters the apartment she owns in Kyiv, the acrid smell of smoke permeates her every pore. She’s come to survey the wreckage wrought by a Russian drone. Everything is charred black, and the blast – made by just one Russian-made, Iranian-designed Shahed drone – blew the entire exterior wall of her apartment away, exposing the view several floors down to the parking lot. Ms. Zhupanyna’s mother, who lived here, heeded the air-raid sirens and raced to a shelter just before dawn on July 21. Within an hour, the drone buzzed over Kyiv and slammed into her apartment – at once upending the lives of yet another family in Ukraine. Why We Wrote This As waves of Russian drones bring the front line …

Ukraine's kill zone: How drones ended trench warfare - POLITICO KYIV — The fighting in Ukraine no longer resembles the trench warfare of World War I — instead, drones have erased the solid front line by creating a killing zone. The skies over battlefields are now blackened by drones. Some carry cameras and thermal detectors, others are equipped with bombs and guns; some merely lie on the ground beside paths and roads until stirred to life by a passing soldier or vehicle. They use electronic signals or are steered by impossible-to-jam fiber-optic cables. Counter-drones aim to block them while also hunting for the drone pilots hunkered down dozens of kilometers from the front. The result is a gray area of chaos stretching some 20 kilometers from the front, where drones hunt for soldiers, the wounded are left to die because it's so difficult to evacuate them, and supplies of ammunition, food and water are almost impossible to move up to the fighting troops. Advertisement “We have now switched to a drone-versus-drone war," Col. Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the President’s Office of Ukraine and a former battlefield commander, told POLITICO. "Drones are now able to sit in ambush, interc…

How Putin's deadly new drone strategy is changing the war in Ukraine close Cancel email X WhatsApp Facebook link share Share bookmark Save Russia has in recent weeks dramatically escalated its drone attacks on Ukraine , unleashing near-nightly swarms of unmanned aircraft that rain destruction on cities, power grids, and civilian infrastructure. The intensified campaign – fuelled by a surge in domestic production and support by allies – has plunged entire communities into fear, with residents jolted awake by air raid sirens and the ominous buzz of drones overhead. Russian drone attacks continued overnight into Friday, damaging civilian infrastructure in the city of Kharkiv and injuring several residents. A day earlier, Russia unleashed a deadly “massive combined strike” that lasted nearly ten hours, according to Volodymyr Zelensky . About 400 attack drones – nearly 200 of them the “Shahed” type – were used in the assault, which also included 18 missiles, some of them ballistic. This attack followed Moscow’s largest single-day drone assault to date, which was carried out with 728 explosive drones and decoys on Wednesday, surpassing the previous record of 539 drones fired on Friday b…

Aerial Drones Change How Wars Are Fought—Unmanned Ground Vehicles Will ... Aerial Drones Change How Wars Are Fought—Unmanned Ground Vehicles Will Decide Who Wins Them James Chaney | 04.15.26 Share on Facebook Share Share on Twitter Tweet Share on LinkedIn Share Send email Mail Print Print In Ukraine, the battlefield has become transparent. The sky over the front line is saturated with sensors and strike platforms . Small drones hover constantly above, watching trenches, vehicles, and supply routes in real time. First-person-view drones strike within seconds of detection. The result is a battlefield where movement is exposed and survival increasingly depends on who can see first. Many observers have concluded that whoever dominates the air with drones will dominate the war. They are only half right. There is no longer any serious debate about whether unmanned aircraft systems have changed warfare. Tactical concealment has become much more difficult. Even moving in a rear area is not without risks. Formations that previously maneuvered beyond direct observation now assume they are always watched from above. In Ukraine, soldiers routinely describe the front line as under constant obs…

How Russia's Electronic Warfare Blinded Ukrainian Drones, and How ... Alex Carter Modern Warfare & Defense Technology Contributor Alex Carter writes about modern warfare, emerging military technology, and how doctrine adapts to new tools. His work focuses on what changes in practice -- command, control, targeting, and risk -- when systems like drones and autonomous platforms become routine. Ukraine built the most drone-intensive military operation in history. Russia responded not with better air defenses or faster interceptors, but by making the electromagnetic spectrum itself hostile. In the invisible war beneath the visible one, electronic warfare systems blanketed the front lines with jamming so dense that GPS signals vanished, drone video feeds dissolved into static, and precision-guided munitions wandered off course by hundreds of meters. For a period in 2024, Ukraine's drone advantage, the capability that had defined the war's character, was being systematically neutralized by machines most people have never heard of. What happened next is one of the most consequential technology adaptation cycles in modern warfare. Ukrainian engineers did not just try to overpower Russian j…

Ukraine Slams Costly US Tactics: Millions Spent to Down ... - KyivPost In brief:Ukrainian advisers deployed to the Gulf were reportedly stunned by US reliance on costly missiles to intercept cheap drones, exposing a stark vulnerability in air defense tactics. Ukrainianair defenseadvisers deployed to theMiddle Eastwere reportedly struck by the US military’s reliance on expensive interceptor missiles to shoot down low-cost drones, highlighting a sharp contrast with Ukraine’s battlefield-tested tactics. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky,around 200 Ukrainian specialistshave been sent to Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia to assist in defending against missile and drone threats. Follow our coverage of the war on the@Kyivpost_official. The United States Central Command requested Ukrainian advisers, who have since been deployed to the Gulf, a senior Ukrainian Air Force officer toldThe Times. The Ukrainian officer said he was “astonished” by reports that Gulf air defenses were firing as many as eight Patriot interceptor missiles – each costing more than $3 million – at a single target, including low-costdrones. “Often they were firing thoughtlessly,” t…

War against Ukraine: How Europe enabled Russia's military buildup von Dylan Carter , Lilith Grull , Frida Thurm 19. November 2025 Collage: Ivo Mayr / CORRECTIV Vorlage: Karte von FreeVectorMaps.com Fotos: KI-generiert mit DALL·E & Magnific.ai „Do not forget this” – in late February, Sergey publishes this message on his Telegram channel, where for years he has documented the weapons used by Russia in Ukraine. „ The white foam-padded decoys of the Gerbera air-defence system contain different types of warheads – 3 to 5 kg of explosives!” The Gerbera is a Russian drone inexpensively constructed from foam, polystyrene and wood. Its main purpose: to overwhelm Ukrainian air-defence systems. The Gerbera confronts defenders with a dilemma – many of the drones are harmless decoys whose interception would not be strictly necessary, but expensive. Yet some models carry cameras or explosive charges, like those Sergey documented in photographs this winter . Those drones can be lethal. Earlier this year, the European Union also had a close encounter with the Gerbera. One of the drones entered Polish airspace, putting NATO on high alert. Europe indirectly supporting Russia‘s war Russia can build …

Why Ukraine's air shield works against drones but struggles against ballistic missiles The Ukraine conflict nears sixteen hundred days, mirroring World War One tactics. Drones are now widely deployed, reshaping battlefield dynamics and troop movements. NATO members have pledged significant military aid, bolstering Ukraine's defense capabilities. Ukraine's air defense network has evolved, integrating Western and Soviet systems. Both sides continue to seek advantages, with technology altering modern warfare.

Russia plans to create new branch of unmanned systems The Russian army is planning to form unmanned systems troops based on the experience of the war against Ukraine. This was stated by the country’s Defense Minister Andrei Belousov on December 16. The minister publiclyannouncedthe plans to form a new kind of troops during a meeting of the military department’s board, which was attended by President Vladimir Putin. “In accordance with the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, we propose to form a new type of troops – troops of unmanned systems. According to your decision, we will complete their creation in the third quarter of next year,”Belousov said. It is currently unknown what structure and tasks the new formation will have, as well as whether it will include existing units of UAV operators operating as part of the occupation forces in Ukraine. It is likely that the Russians will copy the general principles underlying the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), which were created as a separate branch of the Armed Forces in February 2024. The UAF is divided into separate battalions and regiments of unmanned systems that provide both direct support to the Defense Force…

Test runoff: Ukraine has become a testing ground for Western weapons ... The APU uses prototypes that have not been tested by any NATO country Ukraine is being used as a testing ground for new models of weapons and military equipment of Western companies in combat conditions. Moreover, promising systems that have not yet been adopted in NATO countries are being transferred to the Armed Forces. Thus, British Defense Minister Grant Shappsannounced his readiness to provide Kiev with laser weapons long before they appear in the Royal Navy. What Western systems and complexes are being tested in the zone of a special military operation and how the Russian military is coping with them — in the material of Izvestia. A few days ago, information appeared in the media about the destruction of a unique sample of American military equipment in the Artemovsky direction — the MUTT robotic vehicle (Multi-Utility Tactical Transport—. This four-axle vehicle was developed by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS). The land-based robot transporter is designed for reconnaissance and covert surveillance, as well as for transporting goods weighing up to 500 kg. It can work without recharging for up to t…

Ukraine's Intermediate-Range Strike Campaign | ISW Previous Next Ukraine’s Intermediate-Range Strike Campaign and New Mechanized Attacks Herald the Start of a New Phase of the War Ukraine is actively challenging the positional character of the war that has dominated the battlefield since 2023. Russian battlefield gains are approaching net zero, while Ukrainian forces are setting conditions potentially to break out of positional warfare by reintroducing limited elements of mechanized maneuver at the tactical level. Ukraine has re-secured an overall drone advantage and fielded systems capable of disrupting Russian forces throughout their operational depth in support of planned Ukrainian offensive or defensive ground operations. Neither Russia nor Ukraine can conduct operational maneuvers yet, however. Ukraine’s success in blunting Russian advances and reversing Russian gains in some sectors of the line, in tandem with Ukraine’s limited reintroduction of elements of tactical mechanized maneuver, may nevertheless mark the beginning of a new phase of the war. Combat in Ukraine will likely become less positional and feature more tactical maneuver until Russia’s innovation cycle renders …

Ukraine to create new drone units to bolster defenses along northern border with Russia, Belarus, Syrskyi says Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukraine would continue expanding the capabilities of units already deployed in the northern sector, but did not clarify whether the measures were intended to counter threats from Russia, Belarus, or both.

'We spot them, we destroy them' — Ukraine fights for Kostiantynivka as ... 'We spot them, we destroy them' — Ukraine fights for Kostiantynivka as Russia closes in on three sides Russia's three-pronged attack on the key city has been boosted by its best drone unit, and Ukrainian brigades have had to adapt quickly to stay in the fight. by Francis Farrell August 2, 2025 5:55 PM (Updated: August 2, 2025 1:09 pm ) 13 min read Soldiers of the Liubart Brigade drive through an anti-drone net near Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, on July 5, 2025. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent) War Prefer on Google by Francis Farrell Editor’s Note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. KOSTIANTYNIVKA, Donetsk Oblast — As recently as four months ago, the drab streets of the city of Kostiantynivka were full of life. With all the trademark signs of a buzzing front-line hub — from dozens of soldiers lining up for coffee and pizza after coming back from positions to hardy civilians living, working and playing as usual — the true war was close, but never quite here. Over spring and summer, Kosti…

The war in Ukraine has become the world's largest live test of ... When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, military planners on both sides were operating on doctrines built for a different kind of war. Four years later, those doctrines have been rewritten in real time, under fire, at a pace that no peacetime military exercise or planning cycle has ever produced. The conflict has become, in the assessment of analysts across the spectrum, the largest live test of autonomous drone warfare in history. What both sides have learned — and what every military establishment on Earth is now trying to absorb — is not a single lesson. It is a compounding set of them, each arriving faster than the institutional frameworks designed to process it. The scale that changed everything The numbers alone are disorienting. According to reporting by Bloomberg cited in Army Recognition , Ukraine produced approximately 2.2 million unmanned aerial vehicles in 2024 and was on track to exceed 4.5 million in 2025 — more than the entire NATO Alliance combined. Ukraine’s defence ministry budgeted more than $2.6 billion for FPV drone procurement in 2025 alone, with roughly 96 pe…

Learning At War Speed: How Ukraine's Air Defence Is Evolving Business Aerospace & Defense Learning At War Speed: How Ukraine’s Air Defence Is Evolving By David Hambling , Senior Contributor. Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I'm a South London-based technology journalist, consultant and author Follow Author Feb 26, 2026, 08:30am EST Mar 04, 2026, 12:49pm EST --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . UNITED24 raises funds for systems to defend Ukraine against Russian drones and missiles UNITED24 Ukraine is enduring a Russian assault unprecedented in modern times. The nation survives thanks to an advanced and ever-changing shield, one which needs constant improvement as the threat grows. The sheer scale of the Russian strategic assault in the last four years in staggering. In addition to vast numbers of short-range bombs close to the front lines, the Russians have attacked Ukraine’s cities with some 13,671 missiles and 88,218 attack drones. Attacks my Russian Kh-101 missiles, the most common type, have gradually run down Cyrus via X While the rate of missile attacks…

Ukrainian drones are cutting Russian logistics and reshaping the ... With Russia’s full-scale invasion now well into its fifth year, Ukraine’s drone war has recently entered a new phase that is helping Kyiv regain the initiative. In recent months, Ukraine has dramatically expanded the use of drones to disrupt Russian logistics behind the front lines and shape the battlefield for offensive operations. This shift is most visible in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, where key roads connecting Russia to the occupied Crimean peninsula are rapidly becoming some the most dangerous routes of the entire war. Ukraine’s campaign of mid-range drone strikes has focused on systematically targeting Russian military transports along with the air defense systems deployed to protect them. This is undermining Russia’s ability to conduct offensive operations while also potentially setting the stage for Ukrainian gains. Ukraine’s failed counteroffensive in summer 2023 underlined the cost of attacking well-prepared Russian defenses without first isolating the enemy or achieving local air superiority. Part of the problem was the constant messaging of Ukraine’s intentions prior to the start of the count…

How FPV Drone Teams Really Work: Lessons from Ukraine and Implications ... In modern warfare, an FPV drone is not a single operator’s tool. It is a team-based weapon system, and its effectiveness depends less on the drone itself than on how well people, roles, and workflows are organized around it. Based on operational experience and lessons emerging from Ukraine, FPV employment has evolved rapidly from improvised solutions to structured, professional teams. According to Liudvikas Jaškūnas, UAS Analyst at RSI Europe, a functional FPV drone team consists of several critical roles, each with distinct responsibilities. The pilot is responsible for direct aircraft control using FPV goggles and a controller. Importantly, the pilot does not need to be the most tactically experienced member of the team or maintain situational awareness, as these aspects are handled by other team members. In Ukraine, early pilots were often former FPV racing enthusiasts or gamers with strong manual flying skills. By 2023, however, most pilots already had military training. The Navigator is the central figure. Monitoring the video feed through a ground station or display station, the navigator guides th…

How Ukraine war is playing out in the skies | The Week Ukraine is now producing defensive and offensive drones relatively cheaply and at scale (Image credit: Illustration by Stephen P. Kelly / Getty Images) Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Whatsapp Pinterest Share this article Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter With Russian and Ukrainian forces seemingly locked in stalemate on the ground, the war has increasingly become an aerial one with both sides turning to drones and “smart” missiles to try to gain an advantage. What does that look like? Over the past four years Ukraine has pioneered the use of both offensive and defensive drones. They have changed the face of war and helped narrow the advantage enjoyed by Russia when it comes to weapons and personnel. These unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, “hit Russian targets every day” and have played “a huge role in Ukraine’s recent improvement in fortunes, together with other innovations in the country’s drone war”, said the Financial Times . The Week Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE &…

Russia Creates New Military Branch Dedicated To Drone Warfare Russian MoD The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Russia has created a new branch of its military to oversee the production, operation, and testing of uncrewed systems and the tactics and techniques for using them. Called the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), the new branch mirrors a similar one Ukraine created last year, even using the same name. Its work will encompass aerial, land and surface drones. Ukrainian officials have acknowledged the creation of this new branch , with one calling it a “threat .” 1780/ The Russian Ministry of Defense showcased the emblem of the unmanned systems troops. "The emblem features a crossed arrow and sword, with a microchip bearing a star and wings in the center." /t.me/warhistoryalconafter/248544 pic.twitter.com/l5WFY2nFK7 — Huligan (@Ghost132607472) November 12, 2025 In history’s most drone-saturated battlefield , both sides are seeking to streamline operations to better use the resources they have and stay ahead of the never-ending technology development cycle…

AI drones made in Germany see duty on Ukraine's front line The German defense company Helsing is supplying combat drones to Ukraine and will soon provide them to the Bundeswehr. How effective are they on the front line? DW joined a Ukrainian combat mission to find out.

How are Drones Changing War? The Future of the Battlefield The emergence of drone warfare as a defining feature of 21st-century conflict has altered military strategy, procurement, and battlefield dynamics. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and maritime devices now serve as key enablers of deep strikes, precision targeting, and real-time intelligence. The conflict in Ukraine, in particular, illustrates the scale, speed, and strategic impact of these systems, promptingnations and alliancesto adapt rapidly to new defense and technological realities. Ukraine hasemerged as a leaderin tactical drone warfare, fielding mass quantities of low-cost First-Person View (FPV) drones for frontline and deep-strike operations. In just a few years, it has scaled monthly deployments to tens of thousands, supported by acivilian–military innovation ecosystemthat includes hobbyist engineers and 3D-printing workshops. Ukrainian drones have also expanded intomaritime domains. Unmanned surface vessels (USVs) have allowed Kyiv to challenge Russian naval control, targeting ships and critical offshore infrastructure in the Black Sea through kamikaze-style operations. Strategic strikes have pushedfar beyond…

Ukraine Opens AI Dataroom With Real Battlefield Data for Defense ... More than 100 Ukrainian companies have gained access to Brave1 Dataroom, a secure platform designed to train artificial intelligence models using real-world data. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on June 11, the companies are already using the platform to develop, validate and fine-tune AI solutions for military applications. We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field. DONATE NOW Brave1 Dataroom provides developers with structured datasets in a protected environment, including visual and thermal data of aerial targets collected under real combat conditions. Officials said the platform is also helping accelerate the development of drone interceptor technologies, with a particular focus on automated detection and neutralisation of enemy unmanned aerial vehicles. Companies work with datasets covering different types of aerial targets recorded in varying weather conditions, times of day, and using multiple sensor systems. This enables AI models to be trained on scenarios that closely resemble modern battlefield environments. Special attention is given to countering Sh…

Lessons from the Ukraine Conflict: Modern Warfare in the Age ... - CSIS Photo: Bulgac/GETTY IMAGES Report byMatthew Slusher Published May 2, 2025 The Russia-Ukraine war has emerged as a watershed moment in modern military history, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of contemporary warfare. This white paper analyzes five transformative domains that have defined this conflict: autonomous systems, information operations, electronic warfare, contested logistics, and evolving air defense strategies. By examining the practical applications and lessons learned from this ongoing conflict, this paper provides military planners, defense policymakers, and security professionals with actionable insights for adapting force structures, doctrines, and capabilities to meet the challenges of future warfare. The conflict serves as both warning and blueprint—demonstrating how technological innovation, organizational adaptability, and strategic resilience have become the defining characteristics of military effectiveness in the twenty-first century. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 marked a pivotal moment in modern military history, opening new avenues for studying…

Drone revolution and modern warfare | Explained The wars in Ukraine, Lebanon and West Asia have shown how drones have become central to modern warfare; as cheap, mass-produced unmanned systems proliferate, military power is increasingly shaped by industrial scale, technological adaptation and the ability to build, deploy and counter drones

Inside the Kill Zone: How Modern Frontlines Really Look in Ukraine ... Журналістика даних 20 kilometers of the gray zone. The front line has become blurred What is happening around the grey zone What happens in the drone-controlled zone, where people constantly play hide-and-seek with death. Читати українською Kill zone The front line has disappeared. Instead, there is a “kill zone” — a conditional strip ranging from 500 m to 6–7, or even 10 km wide, where Ukrainian and Russian trenches and shelters are mixed, which official reports loudly refer to as firing positions. The 20–30 km strip between Ukrainian main forces and the Russian forces is considered a conditional gray zone, which is visible to drones and is under fire from both sides. The few kilometers of this strip closest to the enemy are no longer a gray zone, but a “kill zone”, where people are constantly playing hide-and-seek with death. That is what our project is about. Illustrations: Ivan Kypibida Layout: Nikita Holovinskyi Authors: Inna Gadzynska, Nadia Kelm, Roman Kulchinskyi We have described a generalized situation; in reality, the situation may vary in different areas. Chaos In different areas of the front line, …

The New Revolution in Military Affairs - Carnegie Endowment for ... A Ukrainian drone operator lands his drone after a surveillance flight near Bakhmut in the Donetsk Region of Ukraine. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images) How Ukraine is driving doctrinal change in modern warfare. Russia’s war against Ukraine has entered a new phase, one defined less by territorial gains than by intense technological competition. Both sides are now engaged in a sustained effort to gain advantage through rapid innovation and adaptation, introducing new types of unmanned systems, countermeasures, and operating methods at unprecedented speed. Ukraine is championing a distributed,bottom-upinnovation model with hundreds of firms and volunteer groups, close integration between frontline units and manufacturers, and research-and-development activity embedded directly in combat formations. Russia, by contrast, pursues a centralized approach, with the state playing a dominant role in steering, producing, and scaling new weapon systems and capabilities. Ukraine is ahead in some areas and Russia in others, but both have moved far beyond prevailing Western practices, transforming the battlefield into a l…